1
as in appeals
an earnest request
the captive made an impassioned plea for his life to be spared
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in excuses
an explanation that frees one from fault or blame
my only plea is that I've been overworked lately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pleas
Dozens flocked to City Hall, wielding signs and voicing pleas for Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty, Sacramento City Manager Maraskeshia Smith and other council members to halt construction.
—
Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
What’s changed is the cultural environment in which these wan pleas ring out.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Well, at least Cheryl Bosa’s social-media pleas to unite her two sons haven’t fallen on deaf ears.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2026
Five of the six men charged in a 2023 mass shooting that left four dead and dozens injured entered guilty pleas March 27.
—Marty Roney, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
The couple had not guilty pleas entered for them at their arraignment in Plymouth District Court Thursday afternoon.
—Mike Toole, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
His pleas for divine intervention went unanswered.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
In the end, the investigation netted seven indictments and seven guilty pleas.
—Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 21 Mar. 2026
Boilermakers International President Timothy Simmons did not respond to a request for comment about Monday’s guilty pleas.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 17 Mar. 2026
Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
What’s changed is the cultural environment in which these wan pleas ring out.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Well, at least Cheryl Bosa’s social-media pleas to unite her two sons haven’t fallen on deaf ears.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2026
Five of the six men charged in a 2023 mass shooting that left four dead and dozens injured entered guilty pleas March 27.
—Marty Roney, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
The couple had not guilty pleas entered for them at their arraignment in Plymouth District Court Thursday afternoon.
—Mike Toole, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
His pleas for divine intervention went unanswered.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
In the end, the investigation netted seven indictments and seven guilty pleas.
—Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 21 Mar. 2026
Boilermakers International President Timothy Simmons did not respond to a request for comment about Monday’s guilty pleas.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleas
Noun
-
The case was originally set for trial this summer, but the trial is on hold until the appeals are complete.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The older two initially resist their parents’ appeals to immerse themselves in nature, but the youngest, who is mute, explores the area and finds a magical tree inhabited by a group of extraordinary characters.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The excuses really don’t matter.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
-
These things are presented not as potential excuses for the Current’s one-win/two-loss start, but as context around it.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Outside, the protesters sang hymns and chanted prayers and held signs and images of the Virgin Mary.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Another ancient tradition is the extensive prayers of the faithful, interspersed with genuflections, which today include intentions as varied as praying for the pope, for the Jewish people, and for those who do not believe in God.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Gemini 3 Pro invented elaborate technical justifications for marking incorrect answers as correct, reasoning that doing so would bring the peer’s score above the shutdown threshold.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Medieval monks toiling away at poetic meditations on the divine have their place, the authors allow, but their own arguments are meant to surpass mere abstract justifications for belief.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And police file a large majority of the petitions.—
Caroline Cummings,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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Though Lomeli denied both her 2021 and 2026 petitions, she is allowed to continue filing similar requests in the future, a notion that is deeply unsettling for Gabriel’s relatives.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In this case, that blend of tradition and artistic interpretation resulted in a final product that stood out—if not entirely for the reasons the bride expected.—
Claire Dodds,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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One of the reasons American troops would be vulnerable on Kharg Island is its close proximity to the Iranian mainland, from which missiles, drones and artillery could be fired.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pleas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleas. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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