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
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Recent Examples of petition
Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
These petitions require the government to explain their detentions.
—Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
The law, which allows judges to issue extreme risk protection orders, now allows family members, law enforcement, health care professionals and educators to petition the courts to require people to surrender their firearms temporarily.
—The Denver Post, Denver Post, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for petition
Noun
Thousands of Carolina Water Service customers across more than 40 North Carolina communities have signed a petition urging the commission to deny the broader rate request altogether.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
These petitions require the government to explain their detentions.
—Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
Five human rights groups have petitioned Israel’s High Court of Justice to remove the ban.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
The law, which allows judges to issue extreme risk protection orders, now allows family members, law enforcement, health care professionals and educators to petition the courts to require people to surrender their firearms temporarily.
—The Denver Post, Denver Post, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for petition
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petition
Noun
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Another category that would likely unnerve boards of directors, according to Minow, is close ties with Epstein following his controversial 2008 guilty plea to procuring a minor for prostitution.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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The prosecution and defense teams settled on the no contest plea in exchange for dropping the murder count.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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First there was Norwegian’s Sturla Holm Lægreid confessing to cheating on his girlfriend during a live interview after winning the bronze medal and tearfully begging her to come back (shockingly, humiliating his ex on national television didn’t work).—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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The current crop, by contrast, has been begging visitors to crawl back into the light.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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This dynamic has produced a range of figures, from the late Sathya Sai Baba, who claimed to perform miracles, to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, whose appeal lies in his widely popular Art of Living Foundation, which offers yoga and spiritual advice.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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Savannah Guthrie opened the family’s plea by thanking supporters for their prayers before describing her mother as the heart of their family and making a direct appeal for contact, stressing Nancy Guthrie’s fragile health and urgent need for medication.—
Adam Sabes , Michael Ruiz , Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Or how about some actual depth in the rotation rather than a prayer circle for health and prospect progression?—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
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Fasting is one of the pillars of Islam Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with the profession of faith, prayer, almsgiving and pilgrimage.—
Mariam Fam,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Petition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petition. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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