as in to argue
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
Relevance
as in to seek
to make a request for
the children pleaded for a kitten for Christmas
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to beg
to make a request to (someone) in an earnest or urgent manner
weary of charities that are always pleading to people of modest means to contribute even more than they already have
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
or pled
also plead
as in argued
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
as in prayerful
asking humbly
a pleading husband seeking forgiveness once again from his long-suffering wife
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in plea
an earnest request
coldhearted tourists pointedly ignoring the pleadings of the city's many street urchins
Synonyms & Similar Words
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.
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Recent Examples of plead
Reuters,
NBC news,
2 July 2026
Rullan was arrested the following month and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
2 July 2026
ABC News,
2 July 2026
Earlier this month, Doyle’s father, Melvin Doyle, pleaded guilty to a federal charge of being a felon in possession of a weapon.
—
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
22 June 2026
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
Her transfer comes after days of pleading by her family and others who described her condition as critical.
—
Sarah El Deeb,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2026
He was arrested four more times through 2015, pleading guilty on separate occasions to patronizing a prostitute and resisting arrest.
—
Joaquin Sapien,
ProPublica,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for plead
Verb
Three men who carried out the bombing were arrested weeks after the murder and pleaded guilty at the start of their trial.
—
Reuters,
NBC news,
2 July 2026
Rullan was arrested the following month and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
2 July 2026
Verb
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 30, an Afghan national and suspected gunman, pleaded not guilty to the shootings.
—
ABC News,
2 July 2026
Earlier this month, Doyle’s father, Melvin Doyle, pleaded guilty to a federal charge of being a felon in possession of a weapon.
—
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
22 June 2026
Noun
Bahm, who was on a call with 911 pleading for help, was also fatally stabbed after Fahim pushed through the door while Bahm was still on the call.
—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
Her transfer comes after days of pleading by her family and others who described her condition as critical.
—
Sarah El Deeb,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
Families of the people in both apartment buildings – and others that collapsed in the area – have uploaded videos to social media in the days after the earthquake, pleading for help.
—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2026
He was arrested four more times through 2015, pleading guilty on separate occasions to patronizing a prostitute and resisting arrest.
—
Joaquin Sapien,
ProPublica,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for plead
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plead
Verb
-
Srebnick, however, argued that the crash was a tragic accident — and did not amount to a crime.
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While some experts say the government should be involved in conversations about AI safety, others argue the result could stifle the industry.
Verb
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Shopping for cannabis based solely on THC percentage is fundamentally flawed, experts contend.
-
Her attorneys contend the defendants used the litigation to portray her as dishonest, intimidate potential witnesses, fuel a public relations campaign against her and drive up the cost of her legal defense.
Verb
-
With no energy available to warm the planet to these temperatures, the team reasoned that the temperature must be a residual effect of prior warming either from being engulfed by the red giant or during an inward migration.
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The second is reasoning intelligence, the layer that looks at a task, breaks it into steps and figures out how to do it, including things like making a judgement call on whether an object will be heavy or light.
Verb
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Notes Sherman Oaks Notre Dame has been able to convince standout safety and top athlete Tahj Skinner to play quarterback this season.
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They were saved at the last minute by the owner of the mill, who convinced the arriving American army of their worth.
Verb
-
Rodríguez rejected those accusations, insisting authorities mobilized immediately.
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Even with some international teams packing up to go home, Rodríguez late Thursday insisted that the government was not winding down rescue efforts.
Verb
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Kavanaugh could have limited his separate opinion to asserting that Trump’s order couldn’t override a federal law, which was all that was needed to decide the case.
-
Lawyers in the gas station lawsuit assert that technology is enabling antitrust violations.
Cite this Entry
“Plead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plead. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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