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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peck (at)
Verb
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Whistleblower allegations and production quality concerns have dogged the company, but Grant noted that Boeing has introduced improvements that airlines are beginning to see firsthand.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
9 Sep. 2025 -
Lower Basin states, including Arizona, have put forward a new concept, but that plan has run into many of the same conflicts that dogged the Lower Basin’s previous proposal.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Resentment soon starts needling away at them as Theo goes over budget and Ivy feels her role as a mother has been usurped — the kids are now too health-conscious even to touch her desserts.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Aug. 2025
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South Park is continuing to needle Donald Trump and his administration as Season 27 continues.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Each room and common area feels like a treasure box; there’s hardly an inch of space that doesn’t beg you to stop, snap a photo, and admire the artistic composition.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
10 Sep. 2025
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The Academy is forcing me to beg political people to screen and select my film.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Plaintiffs, including people who benefited from the legal protections, urged the appeals court to endorse the district court ruling, which found that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem could not categorically end protections for these groups, but instead had to evaluate each case individually.—
Michael Casey,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
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Ficco urged those who sports bet to use reputable online big platforms, do research about where people deposit their money and be cautious.—
Patricio Chile,
ABC News,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Editor’s Note: Is anything ailing, torturing, or nagging at you?—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
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Will her sense of completism nag at you, even incline you toward boredom?—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The women were too busy cooking, crafting, and caring for the family to bother with the stone tools used by men in hunting and building.—
Sarah Durn,
Popular Science,
11 Sep. 2025
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Why ban books, Postman asked, if no one bothers to read them?—
Time,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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He was seen as an outspoken critic of his own party, but was also perceived as distant from Abe’s right-wing faction, which proved advantageous given the scandals hounding that segment of the party.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
8 Sep. 2025
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By the time Kendra’s lies were discovered, the family was being hounded by debt collectors and were in danger of losing their home.—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
5 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Peck (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peck%20%28at%29. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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