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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peck (at)
Verb
-
Pet Food The internet at large may suggest using cat or dog food to feed birds in a pinch.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
6 Jan. 2026 -
The Police Department has long been dogged by accusations of racial discrimination against Black officers in its ranks.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
But there are other factors that needled their way into the evolutionary development of dormancy characteristics.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
9 Jan. 2026
-
After not tweeting for over two years, Dokoupil returned to Twitter to needle the Guardian’s media reporter and push back against criticism of the show’s new framing from commentators like Larry Sabato and Atlantic writer Tom Nichols.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
As a kid in Rochester, New York, Kane begged his parents for a dollar to play.—
Anna Rahmanan,
thehustle.co,
9 Jan. 2026
-
While eating at the restaurant with her parents, Black begged for her own tasty drink and the bartender whipped one up, naming it after her.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
During that visit, then Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo urged Francis in unusually frank terms to take concrete action.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Sauer urged the high court to issue its ruling quickly, noting that it is currently required to use Section 32 funding to send full SNAP benefits by tonight due to McConnell’s order.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
But in the final moments, when Carol is back in her coach seat on the plane, something nags at her.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Rather than nagging or framing missteps as failures, create initiation rituals that cue the brain to shift into work mode.—
Ana Homayoun,
CNBC,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Take a seat on an icy throne—the cold never bothered you anyway.—
Ginger Crichton,
Midwest Living,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Don’t bother wasting your money—using it more than once a day won’t yield ‘better’ or faster results.—
Ali Pantony,
Glamour,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
While Edgecombe is hounding Brunson on one end, Tyrese Maxey’s got 1,200 square feet of real estate at Madison Square Garden on the other.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
4 Jan. 2026
-
Legal issues hound the New England Scofflaws, with WR Stefon Diggs and DT Christian Barmore both ensnared over domestic issues.—
Greg Cote
January 1,
Miami Herald,
1 Jan. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Peck (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peck%20%28at%29. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share