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
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
Damages Claim of $65 million The complaint pleads federal claims—asserting violations of the Fourth, Sixth and 14th Amendments—and state-law claims that include false arrest, malicious prosecution, assault and battery, defamation, and negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
When the man, James, is pronounced dead nine days later, Jacob pleads guilty to manslaughter and receives 30 months in prison — a sentencing that feels much too light for James’ parents, Joan (Tony winner Victoria Clark) and David (Sam Robards).
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2025
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
Damages Claim of $65 million The complaint pleads federal claims—asserting violations of the Fourth, Sixth and 14th Amendments—and state-law claims that include false arrest, malicious prosecution, assault and battery, defamation, and negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
When the man, James, is pronounced dead nine days later, Jacob pleads guilty to manslaughter and receives 30 months in prison — a sentencing that feels much too light for James’ parents, Joan (Tony winner Victoria Clark) and David (Sam Robards).
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleads
Verb
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The complaint argues these practices harm both smaller companies and consumers, who face higher prices.—
Jessie Balmert,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Feb. 2026
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Miller argues the city faces management problems and needs strong leadership to address housing, homelessness and public safety crises.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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While the complaint was pending, Myer allegedly contacted Norwalk police and told them Gabriele was misusing a license plate again, the lawsuit contends.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
6 Feb. 2026
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The lawsuit contends that the city’s response amounted to ratification of discriminatory conduct inside the office tasked with enforcing civil rights protections.—
Chaya Tong,
Austin American Statesman,
3 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 any new nuclear pact must include China, whose arsenal grew from 200 warheads to over 600 since 2020, but Beijing refuses to participate.—
Vladimir Isachenkov,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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The National Electoral Council insists Maduro was the victor but has refused to release the tally sheets.—
CNN 9 hr ago,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Teams also have official pages on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, but the lawsuit asserts that teams’ X pages are used for real-time updates, injury reports and related data.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
9 Feb. 2026
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In addition, Netflix asserts that retail streaming prices will go down, arguing that consumers see HBO Max as complementary to Netflix’s service, and as such competitors like Amazon’s Prime Video and Disney+/Hulu will be forced to keep pricing in check to fight for market share.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pleads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleads. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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