pecking order

noun

variants also peck order
Definition of pecking ordernext
as in hierarchy
the way in which people or things in a group or organization are placed in a series of levels with different importance or status As an assistant manager, he was pretty low in the company's pecking order.

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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 pecking order But the wideouts had no drops against Arkansas State, showing progress and two players have begun to separate themselves in the pecking order. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Sep. 2026 So the pecking order there is worth monitoring with Mafah’s addition. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 14 Sep. 2026 There’s a chance this doesn’t resolve at all until next spring or beyond, leaving two major Hollywood studios’ workforces, at just about every level of the pecking order, in limbo, wondering whether they’ll be canned in a few months. — Josef Adalian, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026 For many, the refusal to acknowledge any kind of pecking order will feel fresh, fun, validating and/or thought-provoking. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pecking order
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pecking order
  1. hierarchy
  2. ranking
Noun
  • The Argentina defender called out United's hierarchy over its offseason recruitment, with director of football Jason Wilcox the apparent target of his criticism.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • How far might a nation go that had no kings to depose, no entrenched hierarchies to uproot, a country so young and iconoclastic and resource-rich?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of hierarchy
Noun
  • In the overall teen ranking for spring ’25 and Fall ’25 and ’26 surveys, On maintained its seventh place ranking.
    — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Some companies may have paid an application fee in order to be considered, but this payment does not impact a company's inclusion or ranking.
    — Time, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of ranking

Browse Nearby Words

pecking (at)
pecking order
pecking orders
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Cite this Entry

“Pecking order.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecking%20order. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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