PECKED Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

pecked

verb

past tense of peck

as in nibbled

to eat reluctantly and in small bites found out that fashion models never really eat—they just peck at small meals in expensive restaurants

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stabbed

to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object the bird continued to peck the suet cake intently

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of pecked Pelicans swooped overhead and night herons, with spiky yellow feathers flying from their heads, goofily pecked the grass for insects. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 June 2026 As Cadeau pecked his way through the blue-and-maize confetti littering the court, Justin did a quick change. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026 Standing right behind the decoy, the bird cautiously sized up George, pecked him on the head, then jumped and used his spurs to knock George to the ground. — Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026 The muscular gizzard contains grit pecked up from the chicken’s ground feeding, which is used to crush up the chicken’s food. — Josh Miller, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2026 The two teams faced off again on Sunday, and once again, the Birds pecked Kansas City, this time in a three-point victory. — Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pecked

Verb

Kikuko, her appetite sluggish, nibbled the bread bit by bit from the edges, all the while furtively watching her father.

— Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Threatened by the lack of water and nibbled by starving livestock, the trees that once formed a dense forest in the Somali region of Ethiopia are in danger, locals say.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026

Definition of nibbled

Verb

According to testimony, Pham and Salerno moved Collins into the bathroom after Lavery hit her, but Lavery followed and stabbed her over and over, leaving blood on the tiles, walls and shower curtain — which had images of knives on it.

— Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026
Labour legislator Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far-right extremist, and Conservative David Amess was stabbed in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the Islamic State group.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of stabbed

Verb

That notion reached its pinnacle after the Chiefs beat the Bills 32-29 in the AFC Championship Game but was punctured by their 40-22 clobbering at the hands of the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
As anxiety punctured the tranquility of the suburb, questions bubbled up on everything from the community’s water and pesticide use to abandoned oil wells underneath.

— Julia Vargas Jones, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of punctured

Verb

Workers have been increasingly jabbed while on the job as needle-style medications — more specifically GLP-1s — have risen in popularity.

— Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu jabbed back against the prevailing narrative yesterday, saying she was never invited to participate in the WNBA’s 3-point contest this weekend.

— Chris Branch, New York Times, 24 July 2026

Definition of jabbed

Verb

Asked about immigration solutions for Congress to tackle, Latino voters polled picked investigating ICE as a top priority, alongside immigration changes like a pathway to citizenship and ending the immigration detention of children and families.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Having picked it up for its 2025-26 season, CBS then pushed it to the following 2026-27 season.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of picked

Verb

Kyiv's retaliatory attacks mean Russian exports are now also stuck, further squeezing global supply.

— Jenni Reid, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026
In a cozy suburb of Minneapolis, a guy in a blue jumpsuit is once again stuck aboard a space station with his robot pals, watching the worst movies ever made.

— Joe Otterson, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of stuck

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peck (at)

pecked

pecked (at)

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“Pecked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecked. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of pecked

verb

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