as in picked 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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pecked (at)
Verb
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While the project is delayed, some CRTPO members urged NCDOT to continue listening to residents and rebuild trust.—
Desiree Mathurin
March 27,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026 -
The union previously urged the department to do more to separate violent prisoners, alleging the state has too often held dangerous inmates in lower-security settings not designed to house them.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Obama stuck with health reform when most of his advisors—and, six months into the battle, most of his party—begged him to fold.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Palmetto’s coach at the time, Matt Dixon, seeing the untapped potential, begged and begged, but Uche’s father wouldn’t budge.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Pecked (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecked%20%28at%29. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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