pecking

verb

present participle of peck
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stabbing
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 pecking Fair Oaks’ famous chickens roam the property, pecking up shreds of lettuce that inevitably fall from the sandwiches. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026 There Are No Foolproof Methods No single technique will completely prevent birds from pecking on your fruits. — Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 24 May 2026 Nyjer thistle seeds are also very small, and many birds will love pecking them off the sides or roof of your edible birdhouse. — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 May 2026 The siblings have been caught pecking and pushing each other during a feeding session. — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2026 Choose cloth that is dense enough to prevent the birds from pecking for seeds. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 Apr. 2026 The scene is right out of the 1950s with students pecking away at manual typewriters, the machines dinging at the end of each line. — Jocelyn Gecker, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026 Our guy is just pecking away at his little typewriter or writing his memories in longhand. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pecking
  1. nibbling
  2. stabbing
  3. picking
  4. jabbing
  5. puncturing
  6. piercing
  7. sticking
  8. spitting
Verb
  • Some experts believe the selling was overdone and investors could start nibbling.
    — Tobias Burns,Paulina Likos, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
  • At the event, some rugs were laid out on the grass in lieu of picnic blankets for guests to lounge on while nibbling on light bites; others were suspended from metal frames like tapestries.
    — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of nibbling
Verb
  • The Baltimore Police Department says Abubakarr Barrie, 23, is accused of stabbing a 15-year-old girl inside a home.
    — Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Hank Sanders/Daily Southtown Paula Larson speaks to media May 6, 2024, about charges brought in the 1966 stabbing death of her mother, Karen Snider.
    — Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of stabbing
Verb
  • To be fair to the Falcons, picking Georgia Tech to cover the spread at Pittsburgh was almost as dumb.
    — Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 5 Nov. 2026
  • In one scenario cited by Visa, a customer asks the AI for help in picking a new television.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of picking
Verb
  • Then, inside the death house, executioners struggled to find a vein, jabbing Pike with at least seven needles, according to her lawyers, one of whom watched in dismay.
    — Keri Blakinger, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2026
  • When handcuffed by investigators, Thakor denied jabbing his wife with a knife.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of jabbing
Verb
  • In fact, Fielder says, Blaine was literally stabbing his hand, puncturing his own flesh to create the illusion of an illusion.
    — Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Executioners spent more than two hours trying to find a vein, possibly puncturing his bladder before giving up.
    — Keri Blakinger, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of puncturing
Verb
  • And over there—the six sky-piercing minarets of the 400-year-old Blue Mosque.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
  • When Rafael Rodríguez Rapún (Miguel Bernardeau), a Republican freedom fighter with piercing eyes and a lower abdominal wound, is wheeled into the infirmary, Sebastián is assigned to watch over him and extract information.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of piercing
Verb
  • Using a rolling pin, roll it into a 12-inch round, lifting and rotating the dough and adding another dusting of flour as needed to keep it from sticking.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Seeds are spread to new areas along waterways and by sticking onto fur and clothing or equipment.
    — Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of sticking
Verb
  • Morgan refuses Ancker’s offer outright and stops just short of spitting in the man’s face.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Everyone spitting dope ass verses, trying to keep up with each other.
    — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of spitting

Phrases Containing pecking

Browse Nearby Words

pecker
pecking
pecking (at)
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Cite this Entry

“Pecking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecking. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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