pecked

verb

past tense of peck
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

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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

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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pecked
  1. nibbled
  2. stabbed
  3. punctured
  4. pierced
  5. jabbed
  6. picked
  7. stuck
Verb
  • Kikuko, her appetite sluggish, nibbled the bread bit by bit from the edges, all the while furtively watching her father.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of nibbled
Verb
  • After an Omani national copilot — who has since been identified as 29-year-old Hamam al-Hammami — allegedly stabbed FlyDubai flight 1073’s pilot Capt.
    — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The copilot allegedly stabbed the captain in the cockpit before passengers intervened aboard FlyDubai Flight FZ1073 after taking off from Dubai, UAE, with 182 people including eight crew members flying to Tel Aviv, Israel, on Wednesday.
    — Sam Metz, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of stabbed
Verb
  • That notion reached its pinnacle after the Chiefs beat the Bills 32-29 in the AFC Championship Game but was punctured by their 40-22 clobbering at the hands of the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
  • As anxiety punctured the tranquility of the suburb, questions bubbled up on everything from the community’s water and pesticide use to abandoned oil wells underneath.
    — Julia Vargas Jones, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of punctured
Verb
  • Pour the bean mixture into airtight freezer bags pierced the tip of a knife to create air holes.
    — Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026
  • One item that wasn’t returned was his 3-year-old daughter’s car seat, which had been pierced by a bullet.
    — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of pierced
Verb
  • Workers have been increasingly jabbed while on the job as needle-style medications — more specifically GLP-1s — have risen in popularity.
    — Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu jabbed back against the prevailing narrative yesterday, saying she was never invited to participate in the WNBA’s 3-point contest this weekend.
    — Chris Branch, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of jabbed
Verb
  • The prime minister and chief of staff had picked the general to coordinate the military mission of flipping Hungary to the Allied side.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Seurer was picked by the Seahawks in the third round of the 1984 Supplemental Draft, but initially passed on playing in the NFL and was in the upstart USFL with the Los Angeles Express.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of picked
Verb
  • Leaders get stuck because of a mindset, a relationship or a system that nobody has ever named out loud.
    — Drew McLellan, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Still, getting ourselves out via some traction boards would have saved on money, frustration and the embarrassment that accompanies getting stuck less than a mile from the highway.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of stuck

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peck (at)
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Cite this Entry

“Pecked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecked. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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