PETITIONS Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

petitions 1 of 2

noun

plural of petition

as in appeals

an earnest request a flurry of petitions from eating and drinking establishments to be exempt from the new antismoking regulations

Synonyms & Similar Words

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petitions

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of petition

as in begs

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 petitions

Noun

Some members of Netanyahu’s governing coalition opposed the law, however, and right-wing opposition parties filed petitions to challenge it in court. — Hannah Ridge, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026 Members have protested through petitions and an 1,100-member boycott. — Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 23 Oct. 2026 Two of the three objections against Macías and Sigcho-Lopez were filed by people who had circulated primary petitions for Patty García. — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026 In a downtown New Delhi café, a lawyer who has filed multiple petitions against the voter revision process said his country once took pride in ensuring that every eligible adult could vote. — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026 Among the 105 people who were ultimately arrested, 75 are believed to have been deported to their home countries, according to local media, and 26 were released from ICE custody after their lawyers filed habeas corpus petitions. — Philip Wang, Time, 19 Oct. 2026 That extension, coupled with Kalshiâ€™s rehearing petitions, has led the gaming industry to believe the company lacks confidence in its case. — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Before the 2024 state law change, mayoral candidates could not begin filing their nominating petitions until after the previous year's general election. — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 ProPublica reviewed hundreds of habeas corpus petitions filed nationwide since January 2025, in which immigrants challenged their ICE detention on constitutional grounds. — Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 14 Oct. 2026

Verb

However, if someone petitions the court, a judge could order the HOA into a receivership. — Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2026 The film hands off its plot like a baton, passing from this dissatisfied shopper to a factory owner to her dead daughter-in-law (another ghost) who petitions the government for her civil rights despite being in the body of an appliance. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for petitions

Noun

Under the collective bargaining agreement, appeals will be heard by one of four people — former players Derrick Brooks, Jordy Nelson and James Thrash, or former coach Ron Rivera — who were jointly appointed by the NFL and NFLPA.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
Some appeals claim a donation deadline is approaching or suggest a candidate faces an immediate financial emergency.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of appeals

Verb

When Sita begs Rama to follow a demon disguised as a beautiful golden deer, Rama draws a magical protective circle around the princess and instructs her to stay within the circle’s borders.

— Sohini Sarah Pillai, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
The actress is an enormously entertaining presence, and the premise practically begs for an explosive music video finale.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of begs

Noun

After hearing pleas from more than a dozen prominent community and business leaders, commissioners agreed to decertify the entertainment district and strip it of its special privileges.

— Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
Smart did not enter pleas to charges of being armed, or pretending to be armed, in a way that may cause fear and with making an unlawful threat.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of pleas

Noun

One community member told Fox News Digital that some congregations had even canceled afternoon prayers on the Sabbath as demonstrations across France descended into violence.

— Ariella Noveck, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Obeying Christ, the soon-to-be disciples got a hands-on lesson in the power of deeper, more humble prayers rather than surface-level efforts.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2026