pecking orders

variants also peck orders
plural of pecking order
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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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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pecking orders
Noun
  • 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
  • Depending on the club, the hierarchies are still clear, and there might be little overlap between those positions.
    Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • While mapping these structural hierarchies is a foundational data modeling challenge, the piece that most organizations completely underestimate is the dynamic signal layer.
    Filip Popovic, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The two fast food chains have a storied history of releasing similar menu items in an effort to win over customers.
    Mike Snider, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Similar trends are playing out at fast food chains and sit-down restaurants.
    Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

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“Pecking orders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecking%20orders. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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