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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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
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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
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In a 2021 court decision, an incarcerated man had tried to sue Bureau of Prisons officials after his cellmate stabbed him and left him blind in one eye.—
Christie Thompson,
NPR,
17 June 2026
-
Young climbed into a box, which Strange then stabbed repeatedly, prompting groans from the audience.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Watt had his lung punctured by the medical staff last season and will turn 32 in October.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
But there were also perplexing moments that punctured the gravitas of the event (even for an event built around hand-to-hand combat).—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Players like Charlie Sifford (first Black player to earn a PGA Tour card), Lee Elder (first Black player in the Masters) and Calvin Peete (12 wins on the PGA Tour) are on the short list of African-Americans who pierced golf's racial barrier.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
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Once the water boils, add the florets and cook until the largest pieces can be easily pierced with a knife, 8 to 12 minutes.—
Carole Kotkin,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
Verb
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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
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The Athletic’s latest mock draft also has Burries (ninth to Mavericks) and Brown (10th to Bucks) being picked before the Heat’s selection.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
17 June 2026
-
At the end of the performance, Perry picked him up as the crowd cheered.—
Klaritza Rico,
PEOPLE,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Messi stuck a boot back, corralled the ball, took a half-turn and fired a laser low and into the corner of the net past Zidane.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
-
Fans who bought parking passes got stuck in heavy traffic as the streets around the stadium were bumper-to-bumper by mid-afternoon.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pecked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecked. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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