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
The investment highlights how the fortunes of the two companies have switched atop Silicon Valley’s pecking order as a result of the AI explosion ushered in by OpenAI’s launch of ChatGPT in late 2022.
—
Kif Leswing, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2025
That one of the biggest and most economically central industries got outmaneuvered by a sector that was, until recently, on the fringes speaks to the new pecking order.
—Rachel Witkowski, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Unless one of them emerges largely unscathed, the winner of the Mountain West could be right at the top of the Group of Five pecking order.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 10 Sep. 2025
Even with the loss of Adam, the Padres’ pecking order in late-and-close games is clear.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pecking order
Kif Leswing, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2025
That one of the biggest and most economically central industries got outmaneuvered by a sector that was, until recently, on the fringes speaks to the new pecking order.
—Rachel Witkowski, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Unless one of them emerges largely unscathed, the winner of the Mountain West could be right at the top of the Group of Five pecking order.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 10 Sep. 2025
Even with the loss of Adam, the Padres’ pecking order in late-and-close games is clear.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pecking order
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pecking order
Noun
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But the Bernabeu hierarchy are well aware of the value of their club.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
There is so much to explore in that space between imagination and reality—interacting with a person and with their works, the various hierarchies and hopes.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Its current critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes is 57 percent, while the audience ranking is much better at 87 percent.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Oct. 2025
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It was named a five-star hotel in Forbes Travel Guide's annual Star Awards and is frequently named the best or one of the best Arizona hotels in the ranking.—
Michael Salerno,
AZCentral.com,
12 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pecking order.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecking%20order. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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