1
as in nibbling
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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2
as in stabbing
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object
the bird continued to peck the suet cake intently
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pecking
The lead stretched to 12 early in the third quarter, but slowly and painfully for Parker, the hosts, with Archer attacking the glass, kept pecking away.
—
Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Still, Lamb said lovebirds, like other parrots, can sometimes be violent with each other, screaming and pecking one another with beaks powerful enough to crack open seeds.
—ABC News, 13 Feb. 2026
The canine doesn't react in fear; the pup leans farther over the edge of the boat to get a closer look at the sizable creatures, almost pecking the whales on their massive mouths.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
By the time a new museum renovation has hatched, a successor is already pecking through its shell.
—Jackson Arn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Except for a few children kicking a ball and some chickens pecking the ground, the village seemed almost deserted.
—Daniel Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 5 Nov. 2025
After Ohtani faltered, the game was the Blue Jays’ to lose, but the Dodgers kept pecking away.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Choose cloth that is dense enough to prevent the birds from pecking for seeds.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2025
Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Still, Lamb said lovebirds, like other parrots, can sometimes be violent with each other, screaming and pecking one another with beaks powerful enough to crack open seeds.
—ABC News, 13 Feb. 2026
The canine doesn't react in fear; the pup leans farther over the edge of the boat to get a closer look at the sizable creatures, almost pecking the whales on their massive mouths.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
By the time a new museum renovation has hatched, a successor is already pecking through its shell.
—Jackson Arn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Except for a few children kicking a ball and some chickens pecking the ground, the village seemed almost deserted.
—Daniel Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 5 Nov. 2025
After Ohtani faltered, the game was the Blue Jays’ to lose, but the Dodgers kept pecking away.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Choose cloth that is dense enough to prevent the birds from pecking for seeds.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pecking
Verb
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Our fellow guests were all seated at garden tables, nibbling sandwiches cut into little triangles and sipping from fancy teacups.—
Flora Stubbs,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
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This is an inexpensive and simple way to deter nibbling animals.—
Peg Aloi,
The Spruce,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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After Jalloh started shooting, multiple students attacked him, with one of them stabbing him, two senior law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation told NBC News.—
Tom Winter,
NBC news,
13 Mar. 2026
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He was first convicted of manslaughter in 1974 for reportedly stabbing his stepfather to death in Sydney.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Finding the right pillow is a lot like picking the perfect paint color—there are thousands of options to narrow down, and each one can make an impact on how cozy your bedroom feels.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Winds were predicted to subside in the evening hours on Saturday before picking back up on Sunday morning, albeit at lower speeds than Saturday morning.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Mourinho shot off down the touchline, fingers jabbing the air, hugging a ballboy in jubilation.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
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Though none of the celebrity moms in question have publicly spoken about the drama, earlier this week, Koma, whom has also produced several of Duff's songs in the past, shared a meme to his Instagram Story jabbing Tisdale French's piece in The Cut.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Conviction in the Gulf as a future global hub for AI infrastructure is facing its first stress test with Iranian strikes puncturing the region’s image as a haven for computing power.—
Kelsey Warner,
semafor.com,
2 Mar. 2026
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The tree was left in pieces, with one portion puncturing the roof of the school and another crushing a fence.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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An autopsy shows all three shots fired by Stevens hit Martinez, with bullets traveling through his left arm before entering his torso and piercing his heart, lungs, liver and other organs.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
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An autopsy report shows all three shots fired by Stevens hit Martinez, with bullets traveling through his left arm before entering his torso and piercing his heart, lungs, liver and other organs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While standard cast iron typically requires seasoning to both preserve and maintain its quality and help prevent food from sticking, this cast iron is equipped with a black matte satin interior enamel coating that’s made to resist cracking, chipping, and staining.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
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Hanson continued to cause problems for Christensen — now at Barcelona — by sticking diligently to his left flank duties, and Filipe Morais levelled the score 15 minutes from time.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Scroll on for spitting-image rollneck sweaters up to $78 less than the original, as well as other styles inspired by the look.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
5 Mar. 2026
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Some of the pending charges involve low-level felonies and include allegations of battery against police officers, including a University of Chicago professor who is accused of spitting at a trooper.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pecking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecking. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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