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.
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
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
Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 10 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pecking orders
Noun
-
The liberal impulse — insistence that injustice isn’t cured by patience, willingness to reform systems that calcify into maladministration — can keep institutions from becoming the archives of old hierarchies.—
Robert T.F. Downes,
Hartford Courant,
6 Jan. 2026
-
With a plot reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice, Behind Five Willows explores what happens when a young woman from a poor family and a wealthy, respectable son of a noble decide to challenge government censorship and the strict social hierarchies that shape their lives.—
Caroline Carlson,
Literary Hub,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
From bunless burgers to cups filled with meat, fast food chains are reshaping their menus as weight-loss drugs and wellness trends change how Americans eat.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
3 Jan. 2026
-
This is the country Brazilians affectionately call Brasil com S, a place with more than 70 national parks, more than 4,600 miles of coastline, and more local fruit stands than fast food chains.—
Aaron Randolph,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pecking orders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecking%20orders. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share