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
York pleads his case to the earl of Salisbury and Salisbury’s son, the earl of Warwick.
—
Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Other suspect pleads not guilty Rodriguez, 18, was arraigned on the same indictment and pleaded not guilty Tuesday.
—Christina Fan, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Heuermann pleads guilty to seven counts of murder, involving the killings of Barthelemy, Brainard-Barnes, Costello, Costilla, Mack, Taylor and Waterman.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
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
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
Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Other suspect pleads not guilty Rodriguez, 18, was arraigned on the same indictment and pleaded not guilty Tuesday.
—Christina Fan, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Heuermann pleads guilty to seven counts of murder, involving the killings of Barthelemy, Brainard-Barnes, Costello, Costilla, Mack, Taylor and Waterman.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleads
Verb
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But Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth argues the 60-day war limit is paused amid the ongoing ceasefire.—
May 1,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
-
The Iranian American actor argues the long-standing persecution of the Baha’is in Iran has only escalated with the current Middle East tensions.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The analyst contends that there is more upside to pricing estimates, especially due to strength in NAND pricing, which is up 200% this year.—
TipRanks.com Staff,
CNBC,
3 May 2026
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Nexstar contends the deal would strengthen TV station economics, allowing stations to bolster their news gathering and expand the number of newscasts.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 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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While pomegranates don’t grow true to seed, Fritz insists the genetic gamble is worth it.—
Rachel Silva,
Martha Stewart,
1 May 2026
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Wilson insists that MacInnes told her that an incident in September 2023, during which MacInnes and Ghost shared a bath in swimsuits, had made the young actress uncomfortable.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
1 May 2026
Verb
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In the months before that change, Sun asserts, its management had been trying to pressure him into investing more in WLF.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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The filing Monday asserts that a shot was heard after Allen, who was outfitted with a shotgun, handgun and several knives, ran through a metal detector.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pleads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleads. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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