pleads

verb

present tense third-person singular of plead
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?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 pleads An ex-South Lake Tahoe mayor pleads guilty to wire fraud in a church embezzlement case. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026 Even as Anthropic ostensibly pleads for guardrails because of AI’s peril, national security anxieties will override any caution – becauseof that same potential power. — Michael Serazio, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026 Depp’s character pleads for help to save her husband from his curse. — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2026 Ryan plays Carla Russo, a veteran nurse at Yale Fertility Center who pleads guilty to diverting vast amounts of fentanyl and diluting it with saline, forcing many patients to endure egg-retrieval surgery without anesthesia. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026 Woman pleads not guilty to jury intimidation In a nearby courtroom, the impetus for the dramatic jury questions appeared in the same courthouse as the jury began its fifth day of deliberations. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026 Prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong pleads guilty to conspiracy to endanger national security. — ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026 Social media erupts over cancellation, pleads to Mamdani Since the cancellation was announced, social media was inundated with posts in support of the show, with some even reaching out to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to intervene and save it. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 Rather than attacking the other woman, Parton pleads with her and openly acknowledges her beauty. — Holly Alvarado, Oc Register, 25 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleads
  1. argues
  2. contends
  3. reasons
  4. insists
  5. asserts
Verb
  • Akhtar argues that Spanish-speaking Muslims of Latin American descent are uniquely positioned to act as bridge-builders between Jewish and Muslim communities.
    — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 13 Nov. 2026
  • The company argues that much of the opposition is based on wrong or insufficient information, and contends that its operation wouldn’t drain resources or damage the environment, but would produce a hefty tax revenue boost for Cromwell.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 13 Nov. 2026
Definition of argues
Verb
  • The union contends that University of Illinois workers were given 2% raises in August but the advanced practice providers were not.
    — Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Hanson contends that if passed, many renters won't need to ever invoke the policy.
    — Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of contends
Verb
  • The consultant reasons by filling a notebook with calculations, then hands you a one-sentence answer, and keeps the notebook.
    — Adam Fish, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
  • How the Fed reasons its way to agreements is as important as the agreements.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 18 June 2026
Definition of reasons
Verb
  • Brown, of Relativity, insists that adopting AI is a necessary move to maintain healthy peer-to-peer and global competition.
    — S. Sorrina Beecher, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2026
  • To our confoundment, the script insists that Gary, now retired, was the rare honest NYPD officer — and, weirder still, acts like that was obvious.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of insists
Verb
  • The administration asserts wartime authority for the strikes, a legal premise human-rights organizations dispute.
    — Saul Hudson, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Advertisement In District Nine, meanwhile, Niven asserts that incumbent Democrats were well liked and Republicans failed to produce a competitive candidate.
    — Connor Greene, Time, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of asserts

Browse Nearby Words

pleading (to)
pleads
pleads (for)
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Cite this Entry

“Pleads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleads. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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