1
as in nibbled
to eat reluctantly and in small bites
found out that fashion models never really eat—they just peck at small meals in expensive restaurants
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stabbed
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object
the bird continued to peck the suet cake intently
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of pecked
Pelicans swooped overhead and night herons, with spiky yellow feathers flying from their heads, goofily pecked the grass for insects.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 June 2026
As Cadeau pecked his way through the blue-and-maize confetti littering the court, Justin did a quick change.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
Standing right behind the decoy, the bird cautiously sized up George, pecked him on the head, then jumped and used his spurs to knock George to the ground.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
The muscular gizzard contains grit pecked up from the chicken’s ground feeding, which is used to crush up the chicken’s food.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2026
The two teams faced off again on Sunday, and once again, the Birds pecked Kansas City, this time in a three-point victory.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 June 2026
As Cadeau pecked his way through the blue-and-maize confetti littering the court, Justin did a quick change.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
Standing right behind the decoy, the bird cautiously sized up George, pecked him on the head, then jumped and used his spurs to knock George to the ground.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
The muscular gizzard contains grit pecked up from the chicken’s ground feeding, which is used to crush up the chicken’s food.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2026
The two teams faced off again on Sunday, and once again, the Birds pecked Kansas City, this time in a three-point victory.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pecked
Verb
-
Threatened by the lack of water and nibbled by starving livestock, the trees that once formed a dense forest in the Somali region of Ethiopia are in danger, locals say.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
That led to a viral moment in a Lions’ Thanksgiving Day game when his teammates were shown chowing down on the turkey provided by Fox, while Montgomery nibbled on a carrot.—
Matt Young,
Houston Chronicle,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The affidavit alleges that after Austin touched Anthony and attempted to physically move him, Anthony pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the chest.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
-
Some of those include defendants facing serious charges, like Javonte Robinson, who in November allegedly stabbed a man to death in Boston after his charges for possession of a dangerous weapon were dismissed under the protocol in October.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Standard polystyrene shattered or punctured easily under the stress.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
-
Unlike insulin vials, Zepbound vials do not contain preservatives, so they should be punctured only once, not repeatedly, then discarded.—
Jody Dushay,
STAT,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
But another pierced the car’s windshield, grazed the steering wheel and one of Fahd’s fingers before striking his son, Sam, in the head.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
-
The Remarkable Life and Times of George Forster A gunshot pierced the calm.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
And now, 44 years on, new generations of Villa fans could also cherish the moment when Buendia’s cross was jabbed in from close range by Morgan Rogers for the third, ensuring every Brummie in Istanbul could relax and soak in the game’s final 30 minutes.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
The boxers, aged 40 and 42 respectively, threw hopeful knockout punches and barely jabbed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But the bullpen picked him up with five scoreless innings until Bradgley Rodriguez buckled in the 10th inning and Matsui did the same in the 11th.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 June 2026
-
Investments continued to pour in, and the development boom that had taken hold in the ’90s picked right back up again.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Everyone can relate to a character waiting for a phone call, or a text, that feeling of being stuck in a purgatorial gap that won’t end until the other person has made contact.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
Outside the arena, reactions were mixed after Trump waved through his tinted window to the crowds stuck behind the barricades across the street.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pecked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecked. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
