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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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
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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
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In foreign affairs, Trump has needled allies Canada and Mexico.—
Bart Jansen,
USA TODAY,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
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My agent was the one who pretty much begged me to just go out and try it and audition.—
Katie Arnold-Ratliff,
Curbed,
27 Feb. 2025
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Cal Fire captain begged for mercy during slaying captured on video, officials say.—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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By James Parker Editor’s Note: Is anything ailing, torturing, or nagging at you?—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
25 Feb. 2025
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Once the need to gain weight started nagging, that other, restrictive noise was suddenly silenced.—
Brooke Eby,
People.com,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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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
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Darvish, who was with the Dodgers, said then and now that he was not bothered by the incident, for which Gurriel served a five-game suspension in 2018.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Jarred Vanderbilt set the tone by hounding him the length of the court, picking up fouls away from the ball.—
Bennett Durando,
The Denver Post,
23 Feb. 2025
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Image Can a celebrity ever just wear a ring on her ring finger without being hounded?—
Sadiba Hasan,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 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 6 Mar. 2025.
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