variants
also peck orders
as in rankings
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 orders
From playoff pecking orders to division title tiebreakers to how the NFC South can be won (or lost) in only two games instead of four, Fowler and Kaye break it all down for the Carolina faithful.
—
Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 10 Dec. 2025
Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 10 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pecking orders
Noun
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Texas dominated many national rankings in the report as well, with the ZIP code encompassing the Dallas suburb of Crandall ranking second on the list and a more urban Dallas ZIP code ranking 10th.—
Faith Bugenhagen,
Austin American Statesman,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The idea of purity — whether in food, body or belief — often masks hierarchies of power.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2026
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In most cases, the natural tendency to organize large teams into smaller groups wins out, and flat teams end up establishing makeshift hierarchies in the absence of formal ones.—
Claire Zillman,
Fortune,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Life at the bottom of the Mediterranean is adapting to the garbage, raising questions about food chains and ecosystem health that researchers are still working to understand.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Mar. 2026
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The Espresso Proteini rides the ongoing protein hype, as more food chains and brands add protein-centric items to their menus.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pecking orders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecking%20orders. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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