as in to pick at
to subject (someone) to constant scoldings and sharp reminders
kept pecking at their prodigal daughter to get off the couch and to start looking for a job
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peck (at)
Verb
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The cuts are also hitting St. Louis, often dogged by being labeled one of the most dangerous cities in America.—
Bram Sable-Smith,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025 -
The reopened highway, which is dogged by traffic jams in normal times, is likely to be slow going for years as debris clearance and reconstruction continue.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
23 May 2025
Verb
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Not all of her tips and tricks to staying fabulous involve undergoing a knife or needle though.—
Michelle Lee,
People.com,
6 June 2025
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Notably, Musk swept up Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson in addition to Trump, needling them over their past debt concerns.—
Shelby Talcott,
semafor.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Over the course of his prolific, three-decade career, the American filmmaker has established a signature aesthetic and working style that could convince any actor to beg him for a part — almost any actor.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
5 June 2025
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Screengrabs from a viral video of a bathroom before it was renovated by Jaci Marie Smith after the previous owners of the home begged her not to do it.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
Verb
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During tornado warnings issued by the National Weather Service, people are urged to move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2025
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Quote Will Excite Detroit Fans To that end, the Lions have been urged to consider and named the best fit to land a very familiar face.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 June 2025
Verb
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By James Parker Editor’s Note: Is anything ailing, torturing, or nagging at you?—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2025
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Hazards associated with hurricanes have always affected regions beyond the coasts, but disasters like last fall’s Hurricane Helene affirm something that has nagged at me in recent years — dealing with increasing challenges associated with inland risks.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
Verb
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Understandably, the online narrative bothered the director as well.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
6 June 2025
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This is an arrangement that bothers Kagi's founder.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
6 June 2025
Verb
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On a single New York possession with approximately four minutes remaining in the third quarter, Pascal Siakam hounded ballhandler Josh Hart just beyond midcourt.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
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That means Curry can expect another series in which he's hounded by younger, athletic wings.—
Ross Terrell,
Axios,
4 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Peck (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peck%20%28at%29. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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