pecked (at)

verb

past tense of peck (at)
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)
  1. urged
  2. begged
Verb
  • Leipzig had locker room issues a few years ago, when a few players were regarded as not pulling their weight — and Schlager was one of the senior figures who challenged them and urged them to improve their mentality.
    — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • SpaceX shares rose about 7% on Tuesday, on pace to snap a seven-session losing streak after analysts at Macquarie reiterated their outperform rating and urged investors to buy the recent weakness.
    — Yun Li, CNBC, 21 July 2026
Definition of urged
Verb
  • Odysseus, still under disguise, begged for food from the suitors at dinner that night.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 18 July 2026
  • At one point, Guinness begged director George Lucas to kill off Obi-Wan.
    — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 16 July 2026
Definition of begged
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.

Browse Nearby Words

pecked
pecked (at)
pecker
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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 23 Jul. 2026.

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