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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pecked (at)
Verb
-
Fans are urged to wear white at Ford Field.—
Leah Olajide,
Freep.com,
9 Nov. 2025 -
During that visit, then Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo urged Francis in unusually frank terms to take concrete action.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
On Monday, McGarva begged California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot to step in.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
6 Jan. 2026
-
During that time, students trapped inside called 911 and begged for help, investigators found.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Jan. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Pecked (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecked%20%28at%29. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share