as in argues
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?
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Recent Examples of pleads
Bree pleads with her not to go with him.
—
Pamela Avila, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
Bree pleads with her not to go.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 17 Feb. 2026
But in an earlier scene, Nixon pleads with his wife not to divorce him, reminding her of their idyllic courtship days; Williams’ music here is a lyrical love theme for solo trumpet and strings — pure bittersweet Americana.
—Tim Greiving, HollywoodReporter, 20 Dec. 2025
Mike Hellgren Lawyer pleads for help Diaz Morales's lawyer, Victoria Slatton,'s videos have gone viral on TikTok.
—Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
March 24, 2025 Clark pleads not guilty to his federal charges.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 16 Dec. 2025
Williamson pleads ‘not guilty’ Almost a full year after she was interviewed by the FBI, Williamson was arrested in her Carmichael home.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 15 Nov. 2025
After her sisters turn to dust, Winifred pleads with Becca for help.
—Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Stiffler pleads to fight against tax increases, scrutinizing incoming land developers, and back law enforcement if voted onto the council, her campaign site says.
—Pj Green
october 20, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2025
Pamela Avila, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
Bree pleads with her not to go.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 17 Feb. 2026
But in an earlier scene, Nixon pleads with his wife not to divorce him, reminding her of their idyllic courtship days; Williams’ music here is a lyrical love theme for solo trumpet and strings — pure bittersweet Americana.
—Tim Greiving, HollywoodReporter, 20 Dec. 2025
Mike Hellgren Lawyer pleads for help Diaz Morales's lawyer, Victoria Slatton,'s videos have gone viral on TikTok.
—Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
March 24, 2025 Clark pleads not guilty to his federal charges.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 16 Dec. 2025
Williamson pleads ‘not guilty’ Almost a full year after she was interviewed by the FBI, Williamson was arrested in her Carmichael home.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 15 Nov. 2025
After her sisters turn to dust, Winifred pleads with Becca for help.
—Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Stiffler pleads to fight against tax increases, scrutinizing incoming land developers, and back law enforcement if voted onto the council, her campaign site says.
—Pj Green
october 20, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleads
Verb
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Conspiracy theories, especially on the right, have swirled for years around the Clintons and their connections to Epstein and Maxwell, who argues she was wrongfully convicted.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
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OpenAI argues that leadership will depend on scaling infrastructure quickly and converting that capacity into products people depend on daily.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The lawsuit contends that Oshkosh engages in anticompetitive practices, namely, requiring customers of its subsidiary, Pierce Manufacturing, to purchase only Pierce proprietary parts even when the same products are available from competitors at much lower prices.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
27 Feb. 2026
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Aldo contends he was assaulted during international trips, at Neverland Ranch, in New York, at the family residence, and at video shoots and recording sessions.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The system reasons underneath, processing infinitely complex 3D scenarios, handling trade clashes, regulations and tradeoffs - learning from user feedback over time to eliminate the need for users to supervise its intelligence.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Trump insists Iran should not be allowed to enrich any uranium at all.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
28 Feb. 2026
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In response to Berman’s suspicion that the leak was Carolyn’s doing, John insists that Carolyn is personally invested in George’s success.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Iran asserts control over the passage of tankers through the strait.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
2 Mar. 2026
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In a recent article in Artforum on the material conditions of machine learning and its implications for the field of art history, Sonja Drimmer asserts that computer vision is fundamentally distinct from traditional imaging techniques such as photography.—
Patrick R. Crowley,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pleads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleads. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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