as in to pick 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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peck (at)
Verb
-
Questions of racial discrimination have often dogged Urban Beach Week, which attracts mostly young African Americans and has been met with a very large — and some say intimidating — police contingent.—
Julie K. Brown,
Miami Herald,
12 Feb. 2025 -
But Bates’s no-nonsense approach to crime and dogged determination to hold all lawbreakers accountable created a seismic shift in how crime and punishment would be tackled in Maryland’s largest city.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
More:Justin Trudeau needles Donald Trump after Canada beats USA in 4 Nations Face-Off final The slim margin gives GOP holdouts power to cause major disruptions.—
Riley Beggin,
USA TODAY,
22 Feb. 2025
-
In foreign affairs, Trump has needled allies Canada and Mexico.—
Bart Jansen,
USA TODAY,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The hauntingly familiar sight of a crash like this once again begs questions about the safety of these next-gen cars.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
17 Feb. 2025
-
Some ship only overnight and beg you to eat their bonbons within a few days of receipt.—
Matthew Korfhage,
WIRED,
15 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
In the continued fight for racial justice and amid reinvigorated efforts to erase Black contributions to American history, Wells would urge activists to be steadfast in speaking truth into the world and advocating relentlessly for a more racially just America.—
Amy Gais / Made by History,
TIME,
27 Feb. 2025
-
In a potential landmark action, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency has privately urged the Trump administration to reconsider a scientific finding that has long been the central basis for U.S. action against climate change.—
MATTHEW DALY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
arkansasonline.com,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
By James Parker Editor’s Note: Is anything ailing, torturing, or nagging at you?—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Once the need to gain weight started nagging, that other, restrictive noise was suddenly silenced.—
Brooke Eby,
People.com,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
He is also bothered that the revenue is going to transit and the toll is not geared solely to curbing traffic.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
20 Feb. 2025
-
Many users never bother to switch to paying in the local currency, even if doing so could save them money.—
Shahar Ziv,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
On Saturday, their new signing, Nico Gonzalez, brought in to reinforce the midfield, was hounded off the ball before Jamie Donley tried to beat the goalkeeper from 40 yards.—
Sam Lee,
The Athletic,
9 Feb. 2025
-
The pass rush that Dillon Gabriel was able to expertly elude during their first matchup hounded the Ducks quarterback with eight sacks.—
Andrés Soto,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Jan. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Peck (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peck%20%28at%29. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share