plea

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun plea contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of plea are alibi, apologia, apology, excuse, and pretext. While all these words mean "matter offered in explanation or defense," plea stresses argument or appeal for understanding or sympathy or mercy.

her usual plea that she was nearsighted

When is alibi a more appropriate choice than plea?

The words alibi and plea can be used in similar contexts, but alibi implies a desire to shift blame or evade punishment and imputes mere plausibility to the explanation.

his alibi failed to stand scrutiny

When can apologia be used instead of plea?

The meanings of apologia and plea largely overlap; however, apologia implies not admission of guilt or regret but a desire to make clear the grounds for some course, belief, or position.

his speech was an apologia for his foreign policy

When would apology be a good substitute for plea?

While the synonyms apology and plea are close in meaning, apology usually applies to an expression of regret for a mistake or wrong with implied admission of guilt or fault and with or without reference to mitigating or extenuating circumstances.

said by way of apology that he would have met them if he could

Where would excuse be a reasonable alternative to plea?

While in some cases nearly identical to plea, excuse implies an intent to avoid or remove blame or censure.

used illness as an excuse for missing the meeting

When is it sensible to use pretext instead of plea?

In some situations, the words pretext and plea are roughly equivalent. However, pretext suggests subterfuge and the offering of false reasons or motives in excuse or explanation.

used any pretext to get out of work

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 plea Details of the plea and charges have not yet been disclosed. Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025 At the hearing Friday, Assistant US Attorney Madison Smyser informed the judge that Combs had rejected a plea deal offered by prosecutors, though no further details on what the plea deal entailed were revealed. Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 25 Apr. 2025 The argument provided by the defense comes as the prosecution revealed Diddy rejected a plea deal offer. Lauryn Overhultz , Kirill Clark, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2025 Aguirre reportedly distributed pills containing fentanyl to two more minors later that month, and one of them overdosed and survived, the plea agreement said. Andrea Klick, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for plea
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plea
Noun
  • There’s plenty of beach to go around in Florida, each with a different appeal.
    Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Reflection and Commentary By reflecting on memories through a combination of nostalgic ocean art and Western art and engaging the viewer by commenting on societal issues and environmental concerns, Nathan’s work demonstrates significant appeal.
    Matt Emma, USA Today, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • And certainly, the Tampa Bay Rays aren’t making any excuses.
    Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 25 Apr. 2025
  • But their excuse for giving us protein every day is to give us beans almost every day.
    Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Many waited hours for a chance to walk under the church’s vaulted ceilings and say a prayer for the pontiff.
    Alan Yuhas, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
  • More than five years ago, Francis stood in the very same square in the evening, to issue a prayer amid the worsening COVID pandemic.
    Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Furthermore, China restricts the import of many U.S.-grown foods through its slow and complex approval process for biotech crops, often citing health and safety concerns as justification.
    Garth Friesen, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Proposing de-extinction as justification for rolling back the Endangered Species Act and its many effective protections is a dangerous distraction.
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 26 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The child was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on January 4, 2023, the petition says.
    Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 25 Apr. 2025
  • However, Weinstein is currently being held at Bellevue Hospital after his team filed an emergency petition with the court last week asking to hold him there, rather than at Rikers, during the trial due to his worsening health.
    Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The reason for the independence, the Brookings Institution explains, is that politicians tend to want lower interest rates because lower rates stimulate the economy.
    Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 21 Apr. 2025
  • The reason for the increase in the Tigers’ team score came after a review of Mizzou’s third rotation — balance beam.
    Henry Chappell, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Others combined grand geopolitical theory with narrowly self-interested pleading.
    Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Finally, a concerted Administration effort to generate public support for dismantling specific anticompetitive regulations that hit Americans hardest in the pocketbook might yield sufficient congressional support to overcome special interest pleadings.
    Alden Abbott, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • With apologies to Brian Schottenheimer, how about Dallas?
    The Athletic NFL Staff, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
  • While some parents might rush to force their kids to make a hasty and superficial apology–or even non-apology–taking an engaged approach instead of a reactive one allowed this father and son to make a sincere attempt at amends that took into account the other person’s feelings.
    Christian Dashiell, Parents, 24 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Plea.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plea. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

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