as in plea
an earnest request
a flurry of petitions from eating and drinking establishments to be exempt from the new antismoking regulations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to beg
to make a request to (someone) in an earnest or urgent manner
petitioned the judge to be excused from jury duty for financial hardship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 petition
Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
Some asylum petitions have been denied, while others are still in process.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
After the company unsuccessfully petitioned the Marion County Court to force the matter into arbitration, a judge deemed the noncompete clause unenforceable under Indiana law in September.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petition
Noun
More than 120,000 people have signed a petition against the opening of Shein in Paris, as of Thursday.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
Some asylum petitions have been denied, while others are still in process.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
The discovery showcases the diversity of life that exists in a place experiencing rapid climate change — which is why scientists are petitioning for the Weddell Sea’s fragile ecosystem to be protected by law.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
After the company unsuccessfully petitioned the Marion County Court to force the matter into arbitration, a judge deemed the noncompete clause unenforceable under Indiana law in September.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petition
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petition
Noun
-
Martinez and Ruiz were present in court Wednesday and both have entered not guilty pleas to a federal charge of assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers.—
Omar Jimenez,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Neither of them entered pleas at their initial appearances Wednesday afternoon.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Comments begged Kennedy to explain what caused her relationship to end.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
-
That begs the question of whether the Rockets need to upgrade at point guard, given their championship expectations.—
Ricardo Sandoval,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The Supreme Court also previously denied an appeal filed by Davis in 2020.—
Jason Lemon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
That Mamdani was able to win decisively shows the power of his appeal, and how much his charisma, social media savvy and messaging on affordability resonated with voters.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Our thoughts and prayers are with his girlfriend Catalina, family, friends and his teammates.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Behind them was an altar lit with prayer candles, and a photo of Ríos Pérez in the center.—
Jade Jackson,
IndyStar,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Petition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petition. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share