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
-
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
-
Networks of competence are prioritized ahead of hierarchies of authority.—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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Tillmans frequently displays his work tacked or taped directly to the gallery wall, interspersed with postcards, ink-jet prints, and magazine clippings, calling into question typical hierarchies of scale and subject matter and pointing out the photos’ materiality.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
26 May 2026
Noun
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An unbelievably hot packet of hot sauce, cake pops from a celebrity chef, and Pop Rocks beverages are among the new items coming to fast food chains and stores.—
Fielding Buck,
Oc Register,
29 May 2026
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Which fast food chains use beef tallow today Beef tallow never disappeared entirely, and a handful of chains have either kept it or brought it back.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pecking orders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecking%20orders. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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