variants
also peck order
as in hierarchy
the way in which people or things in a group or organization are placed in a series of levels with different importance or status
As an assistant manager, he was pretty low in the company's pecking order.
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Recent Examples of pecking order
Around a quarter of an hour from the finish line, however, a Marcus Rashford that has fallen down the pecking order and lost the left wing berth to midfielder Fermin struck in another one-on-one.
—
Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2026
The government would lend Spirit $500 million at a reasonable interest rate, and become the top debtor in the bankruptcy pecking order.
—Olivia Rinaldi, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
The pecking order of capitalism favors the few at the very top.
—Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Apr. 2026
Rua Esperanza is at the top of the neighborhood’s custom-home pecking order, Work said.
—David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pecking order
Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2026
The government would lend Spirit $500 million at a reasonable interest rate, and become the top debtor in the bankruptcy pecking order.
—Olivia Rinaldi, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
The pecking order of capitalism favors the few at the very top.
—Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Apr. 2026
Rua Esperanza is at the top of the neighborhood’s custom-home pecking order, Work said.
—David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pecking order
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pecking order
Noun
-
Throughout the nine tracks, which range from haunting to playful and toy with auto-tune, Malone examines relationship hierarchies and expectations.—
Ilana Kaplan,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
-
From a young age, many people absorb a simple hierarchy of emotions.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
Noun
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Novo’s share price has plunged by almost three quarters since its peak in 2024 and has slipped down the ranking of Europe’s most valuable companies.—
Anna Cooban,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
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Under the previous system, management awarded the company as a whole a ranking for its yearly performance that set the total size of the bonus pool for business units.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pecking order.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecking%20order. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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