begging 1 of 3

Definition of beggingnext

begging

2 of 3

noun

begging

3 of 3

verb

present participle of beg

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 begging
Adjective
Violators can be punished with fines up to $500 and three months in jail under one anti-begging law and with fines starting at up to $100 and 10 days in jail under a law against soliciting contributions from people in cars. Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 Feb. 2026
Noun
But this time, his begging sounds like more than an empty come-on. Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026 Certainly plenty of people after Baudelaire have also navigated this conundrum, with (for the most part) less opium use and Freudian begging. Literary Hub, 22 Dec. 2025 After a little begging and pleading, the parent could not say no, and the PetSmart trip turned into the family welcoming home a cat. Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025 The world’s biggest deadbeat has passed the begging bowl again. Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2025 And a reminder that without the ability to strike, collective bargaining is just collective begging. Tim Wright, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
In a story this complicated, where everyone from a little girl to a grown man from Boston is begging for their humanity, even Howard Stevens deserves some, too. Lyz Lenz, Rolling Stone, 28 May 2026 Small steps were made, but dissatisfaction set in towards the end — and a golden chance went begging. Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 27 May 2026 Not only do the records feature scuff marks and price tags, but poems and doodles—as if the blankness was begging to be filled in. Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 May 2026 Eventually, the tiniest of beaks popped out and started begging mom for food. Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026 An all-white outfit is practically begging for a headscarf moment. Amanda Le, InStyle, 22 May 2026 The bright green pesto and colorful tomatoes make a beautiful plate that's begging to be enjoyed even on the busiest of weeknights. Nellah Bailey McGough, Southern Living, 22 May 2026 Over five decades, hundreds have spoken, envisioning entry into heaven, begging for forgiveness and trying to reckon with their crimes. Erik Ortiz, NBC news, 20 May 2026 And that’s why Trump is left begging for the Chinese to buy soybeans and Boeing jets, and the Chinese sort of string him along. David Frum, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for begging
Adjective
  • The hard-sell approach aims to get the consumer to buy the product or service in the short term; direct and insistent language is used to persuade the consumer to make the purchase.
    Ezgi Eyüboğlu, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 May 2026
  • McCullum was insistent that his ‘Bazball’ style of play, which brought such success in his first couple of years in charge but fell badly flat in Australia, could evolve when England face the twin Test challenges of New Zealand and Pakistan this summer.
    Paul Newman, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Noun
  • She has now been transferred to a hospital in Tehran for treatment, her lawyer Mostafa Nili posted on X on Sunday, after days of pleading by her family and others.
    Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 13 May 2026
  • Bahm, who was on a call with 911 pleading for help, was also fatally stabbed after Fahim pushed through the door while Bahm was still on the call.
    Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
Verb
  • Despite already petitioning onto the June primary election ballot, Marx won nearly 40% of the vote at the Republican state assembly last month.
    Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 26 May 2026
  • Last year, she was also impeached by the House but survived by successfully petitioning the Supreme Court to declare the impeachment bid unconstitutional on a technicality.
    Jim Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
Adjective
  • Bugs or no, Ava has zero problem psychoanalyzing and then getting invasive with persistent follow-up questions.
    Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 26 May 2026
  • The language first reached the continent in the early twentieth century and gained popularity during the postcolonial era as a politically neutral replacement for the still-persistent languages of European colonizers.
    Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
Noun
  • On Wednesday, May 20, The Substance actor, 72, filed a petition to end his $13,750 monthly child support payments to his ex-wife Kimberly Buffington for his 18-year-old twins Thomas and Zoe following their high school graduation, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.
    Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
  • The Kansas Coalition for Common Sense, which has supported the petition effort alongside the groups Prairie Progress Civic Action and Leading Kansas, slammed the response.
    Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • Leaders can make that distinction explicit by asking debaters to move from critique to contribution.
    Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
  • There were so few sightings of lovebugs in 2023 that Leppla and other entomologists received calls from the public asking where the irksome little critters went.
    Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026
Noun
  • The man who was shot was possibly under the influence, according to the person who reported the soliciting.
    Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Truist is seeking compensatory damages, an injunction against further soliciting and hiring of its employees, and attorney fees.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 29 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • We were whisked around in golf carts, engaged in happy banter at the bar and felt accommodated when last-minute changes or requests arose.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 May 2026
  • Mayor Michelle Wu’s office did not respond to a request for comment on how the city plans to spend the grant funding.
    Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 27 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Begging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/begging. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.

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