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 He is expected to enter a not guilty plea at the hearing, set to begin this morning. Christian Orozco, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025 Comey's not guilty plea was expected. Josh Meyer, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025 Oppenheimer’s plea for openness was a definition of the stakes. MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025 The plea was entered by his attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who asked for a jury trial. Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for plea
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plea
Noun
  • Gilbert appealed Wilson’s ruling; however, in December 2024, a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel turned down Gilbert’s appeal, per Courthouse News Service.
    Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 8 Oct. 2025
  • The Buccaneers, which mixes soapy costume drama with Taylor Swift songs, has been well reviewed by critics (72% Rotten Tomatoes average) and has developed a devoted following but has not broken out the way some of Apple TV+’s broad-appeal hits have.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • There’s no excuse for an NFL player to make such a mind-numbing mistake.
    Zak Keefer, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Southerners never need an excuse to break out their favorite dip recipes.
    Josh Miller, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The previous day, Mamdani had been in Bay Ridge, Kensington, and Jamaica—home to large Muslim communities in Brooklyn and Queens—for Eid prayers, addressing some twenty-five thousand people.
    Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The Pennsylvania State Troopers Association (PSTA) thanked the troopers for their bravery and asked for prayers for them and their families.
    Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The current administration’s justification for eliminating the CSB is that its capabilities are duplicated by agencies such as the EPA and OSHA.
    Philip Steenstra, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2025
  • In a nod to the post-9/11 law, administration officials have indicated that the designation adds legal justification for the strikes.
    Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The discharge petition under Massie, however, is a different story.
    Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Jones asked the Supreme Court to review the case in a petition for a filed last month.
    Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The Bills and Eagles both losing last week left the NFL with no unbeaten teams this year as the 1972 Perfect Season Dolphins had reason to celebrate yet again.
    Greg Cote October 9, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Hill’s option will likely be exercised; there’s no reason for the club to part ways with him.
    Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • That pleading was roundly denied by the judge; last summer, the case proceeded to discovery.
    Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Courts generally view these reports with skepticism but will allow allegations relying on the reports to move past the pleading stage under certain circumstances.
    Tim Reynolds, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The fallout has prompted apologies from high places.
    Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
  • The video — which has since been taken down by the TikToker, who issued an apology — captured his final moments after Miller reached the summit and then had trouble getting his gear bag unstuck on a jagged edge below.
    Susan Young, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Plea.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plea. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

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