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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
  • On Wednesday, the Patriots had a better offensive game plan, nibbling at available yards and using the Seahawks’ aggressive style against them.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Genji's favorite activities include meeting new people, obsessing over his toys and nibbling on cheese.
    — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of nibbling
Verb
  • Armstrong’s first symptoms, at age 11, were stabbing pains on her left side that repeatedly sent her to the school nurse.
    — Laura Ungar, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Wardlaw stands accused of stepping into Jordan Harbst’s path on the Greenbelt, knocking Harbst off his scooter and stabbing him to death in the early morning hours of July 6, according to the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office.
    — Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of stabbing
Verb
  • These are two very successful, powerful women, and everyone just wants to push this narrative of beef and controversy and picking teams.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Their biggest competitive advantage, hitting director CJ Gillman said, was picking the low-hanging fruit and simplifying their messaging to players.
    — Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of picking
Verb
  • When handcuffed by investigators, Thakor denied jabbing his wife with a knife.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Years ago, after Jake died, my instinct as a medical student was anger — clenching my teeth and jabbing a pen into my notepad, making a line of inky holes along the margin.
    — Caroline Cherston, STAT, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of jabbing
Verb
  • The shrapnel tore through the metal surrounding the engine, shattering the window at row 11, leaving a dent in the plane near row 8 and puncturing the body below the wing, as well as gouging and denting the tail, the NTSB said.
    — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • According to the company website, the glove is designed to disrupt sensory nerves without puncturing or burning the skin.
    — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of puncturing
Verb
  • Her bulging eyes, her piercing shrieks, her casual yet immaculately articulate cruelty all come together to form a cartoonish villain who’s also a commanding delight.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2026
  • After about a minute, Nora pushed Carrillo down onto a couch, broke free and fled through the front door as a piercing siren started blaring from the Ring camera.
    — Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of piercing
Verb
  • And while getting Vicki back on the show hasn’t made for particularly fun television, her Debbie Downer season (apologies to Victoria, but Emily’s assessment is sticking) is at least authentic.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • This seasoning repels moisture and prevents food from sticking at a molecular level.
    — Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of sticking
Verb
  • This is a model spitting out something that goes against tradition.
    — Eno Sarris, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • All, though, are generally tasked with spitting out algorithmic data that help inform a head coach’s decision-making around fourth downs, two-point conversions, timeouts and beyond.
    — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 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 22 Sep. 2026.

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