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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pecked
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
Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pecked
Verb
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Orange-and-white clown fish peered from rust-red anemones; neon-green parrotfish nibbled at bubblegum-pink brain coral.—
Susan Casey,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
-
The two leopards chased each other through the leaves and even nibbled on a few.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Banfield stabbed his wife, according to prosecutors.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
11 Jan. 2026
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On Monday night last week, a man and woman were stabbed on the platform for the 69th Street Red Line stop.—
Natalie McMillan,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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If the worst happens and the dome is punctured, 2,000 tonnes of CO2 will enter the atmosphere.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
21 Dec. 2025
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The same could not be said of her trachea, which had been punctured lethally from the attack.—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Whistle blasts pierced the early January chill in a now-familiar community response employed by activists in US cities to alert neighbors to the presence of immigration officers.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
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Remove the foil and continue to bake until the lasagna is tender all the way through when pierced with a knife, the cheese is bubbling and the top is golden brown, about 15 minutes more.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As Webster repeatedly jabbed his finger, Rathbun met it with his left hand, as if trying to swat him away.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
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That same night, conservative commentators Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson jabbed each other amid ongoing criticism from some within the movement over Carlson’s platforming of far-right figures like Nick Fuentes.—
Caroline Vakil,
The Hill,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Daniel Lewis and Pete Prisco at CBS Sports both picked New England in close games.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
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If only a few in number, they can be hand-picked from the plants and destroyed.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But there is a primal scream stuck in our collective throat.—
Phil Morris The Minnesota Star Tribune,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2026
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Even after the pick-less Young trade, there does seem to be a pathway present for the Heat to restock with draft picks while, like the Hawks, continually stuck in play-in-ville.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pecked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecked. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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