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pleading 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of pleadingnext
as in prayerful
asking humbly a pleading husband seeking forgiveness once again from his long-suffering wife

Synonyms & Similar Words

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pleading

2 of 3

noun

ˈplē-diŋ How to pronounce pleading (audio)
as in plea
an earnest request coldhearted tourists pointedly ignoring the pleadings of the city's many street urchins

Synonyms & Similar Words

pleading

3 of 3

verb

present participle of plead
as in arguing
to state (something) as a reason in support of or against something under consideration can I plead temporary insanity for having made that foolish decision?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 pleading
Noun
Daniel Tucker, a leader with Stand Up KC, can be seen in the video pleading with Miller to walk out of the room with him to try and defuse the tense moment. — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 18 Aug. 2026 Cochran said the dispute was too fact-specific to resolve at the pleading stage and allowed the case to proceed, leaving Warner free to challenge the claims later. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
Murdaugh remains in prison after pleading guilty to separate financial crimes. — ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026 In one case, an Illinois man was sentenced to three years behind bars after pleading guilty in Waukesha County to charges based on the new law. — Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 5 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pleading
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleading
  1. prayerful
  2. plea
  3. arguing
  4. begging
  5. appeal
  6. reasoning
  7. prayer
  8. contending
Adjective
  • Tigua dancers of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo performed a prayerful ceremony traditional before a hunt.
    — Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 28 June 2026
  • That’s the prayerful explanation for the nonsense that spouted this week from the leaders of a football conference that hopes to grow up and be the Big Ten someday.
    — Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Definition of prayerful
Noun
  • Clancy was tried in a Massachusetts court of law, one of the few venues where defendants such as Clancy enjoy the presumption of proof for pleas of insanity, once they are allowed to make such a plea.
    — Richard E. Vatz, Baltimore Sun, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Offering a plea deal or abandoning the prosecution The more unlikely options include the prosecution offering a plea deal to Clancy or dropping the case entirely.
    — Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of plea
Verb
  • Milei has rejected calls for government intervention, arguing that unpaid debts are a private matter between borrowers and lenders rather than a symptom of wider economic distress.
    — Débora Rey, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Reddington said his first priority is arguing later this month that a retrial would violate Clancy's constitutional protection against double jeopardy because the mistrial was declared over the defense's objection.
    — Bryan Llenas , Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of arguing
Adjective
  • Violators can be punished with fines up to $500 and three months in jail under one anti-begging law and with fines starting at up to $100 and 10 days in jail under a law against soliciting contributions from people in cars.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 Feb. 2026
Definition of begging
Noun
  • The visits tend to energize the base ahead of the midterms and may also broaden congressional candidates’ appeal.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • In its 35th season, DWTS continues to evolve while retaining the particular mix of spectacle, competition, and camp that gives it a cross-generational appeal.
    — Lily Moayeri, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of appeal
Verb
  • Now apply that to everything else that a student might do in an educational setting, from reading comprehension to reasoning to critical thinking to even making friends.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Some aldermen sought to ban them, reasoning that businesses using them should switch to the legalized, and therefore regulated and taxed, VGTs.
    — Joe Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of reasoning
Noun
  • Before Buchanan turned his final prayer into a touchdown, Underwood was quite underwhelming (11 of 21, 123 yards, INT, lost fumble).
    — Manny Navarro, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Every September 11th, people assemble near Ground Zero for the tolling of a bell, the whispering of prayers, the offering of flowers, the waving of flags.
    — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of prayer
Verb
  • The Flames and head coach Jamey Chadwell should be back to contending in Conference USA, led by transfer running backs Kam Davis (Florida State) and Kanye Udoh (Arizona State).
    — Justin Williams, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Another group of scholars eventually refuted the claims in 2023, contending the ring had no connection to anyone named Pilate.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of contending

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Cite this Entry

“Pleading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleading. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pleading

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pleading

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