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
Examples Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peck (at)
Verb
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All the while, the heroic couple was dogged by not just a team of lovebird assassins, but an inscrutable bunch of White House bigwigs.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
21 Jan. 2025 -
However, disagreement has dogged the name for decades.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2025
Verb
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He's floated the idea of the U.S. taking ownership of Greenland and suggested annexing Canada amid border security negotiations in a pitch that Axios' Dave Lawler notes is designed, at least in part, to needle Prime Minister Trudeau.—
Rebecca Falconer,
Axios,
25 Dec. 2024
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As the interview evolves, Cutler seems to revel in needling Stewart.—
Constance Grady,
Vox,
4 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Following the show, the beauty community begged McGrath to unveil the secret behind her glass-shattering technique, which has been recreated by makeup artists time and again since then.—
India Espy-Jones,
Essence,
24 Jan. 2025
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With the movie itself proving its might across three different categories, Morris’ absence begs the question: How? —Joey Nolfi 12 of 13 SNUB: Challengers score Time to compress and repress your rage, as the Academy pulled the aux cord out from one of the best original scores of 2024.—
Joey Nolfi,
EW.com,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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In the Atlanta area, DeKalb County officials declared a state of emergency on Wednesday and are urging all residents to shelter in place due to the severe winter weather.—
Kenton Gewecke,
ABC News,
22 Jan. 2025
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Parents were urged to not come to the school and instead to go to a hospital to reunite with their children.—
Alex Sundby,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
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By James Parker Editor’s Note: Is anything ailing, torturing, or nagging at you?—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
21 Jan. 2025
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The day before the Dallas Cowboys played the Carolina Panthers, news hit that Trevon Diggs would not only miss the game, but that his season was over due to a knee injury that’s been nagging him.—
Saad Yousuf,
The Athletic,
16 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Theresa’s nose has been bothering her and one of her children has asthma.—
Simmone Shah,
TIME,
26 Jan. 2025
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Ludvig Aberg, who shared the second-round lead with Griffin, was bothered by illness throughout the round.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Instead, she was hounded out of the classroom by authorities hostile to Western literature.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2025
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But the cultural repercussions will be felt for generations to come, even (and especially) in the swiping apps hounded by modern singles.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2025
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“Peck (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peck%20%28at%29. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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