as in picks at
to subject (someone) to constant scoldings and sharp reminders
kept pecking at their prodigal daughter to get off the couch and to start looking for a job
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pecks (at)
Verb
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Service dogs that bark excessively must be taken out of the facility.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
14 June 2026 -
In a nearly 10-minute long video, Pratt repeated social media posts that dogs on Skid Row are used to test drugs, are bred for drug money and are left in poor conditions by their unhoused owners, among other concerns about overcrowded, dirty shelters across the city.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Verb
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The website also urges those who sign up to check what time each coffee shop is open for business before visiting.—
Anne Ewbank,
Sacbee.com,
15 June 2026
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Flake urges them to make the hard step of backing Collins as an act of principle across lines of party.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
Verb
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The role required a physical and comedic register she had not previously been asked to sustain at this scale, which begs the question of whether playing someone this chaotic is sustainable for someone who describes herself, without hesitation, as directly opposite.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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The lush gardens, manicured but also a touch sauvage, have plenty of recliners, and a crystalline pool just begs for a quick dip.—
Caitlin Gunther,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 June 2026
Verb
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But in the final moments, when Carol is back in her coach seat on the plane, something nags at her.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Velvet Gang needles the outraged Christie ever so.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
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As Thea’s former suitor, Tesman struggles to call her by her married name, a slip of the tongue that Hedda constantly needles him about.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Pecks (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecks%20%28at%29. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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