Thesaurus results for PLEAS

pleas

noun

plural of plea

as in appeals

an earnest request the captive made an impassioned plea for his life to be spared

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as in excuses

an explanation that frees one from fault or blame my only plea is that I've been overworked lately

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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 pleas From afar, Lee’s books can be viewed as pleas to see Asians as complex. — Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026 Charitable agencies are being overwhelmed with pleas for alms because there is too much real wealth in the country. — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026 After the undisputed killers plead insanity, doctors for the left-wing prosecutor and the defense often back their claims, judges approve the pleas, and the acquittees submit to annual reviews assessing whether the state should release them. — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 21 Sep. 2026 More is surely going on, undetected or unreported, even as there has been a minor online symphony of whistle-blowing, alarm-bell tolling, and pleas for legislative action. — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026 At least nine people so far have been convicted at trial or through guilty pleas. — David Fischer, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026 Hosfelt's $50 fine is the lightest sentence any of the former staffers who entered pleas have received. — Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 21 Sep. 2026 Costco shared the news in an Instagram Reel featuring customers’ pleas to bring back the sweet treat. — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026 By filing that brief handwritten petition, Kohberger is putting himself in the category of many criminal defendants before him, who have argued after the fact that their guilty pleas were coerced. — Mark Guarino, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleas

Noun

Like at his Moxie’s restaurant in Southlake, the menu appeals to local diners who want something a notch better than chains.

— Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Sep. 2026
While Lula’s current appeals to sovereignty belong to the progressive tradition, they should not be mistaken for anti-Americanism.

— Andre Pagliarini, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of appeals

Noun

Catch and eliminate personal excuses, justifications, or peer comparisons.

— Brendan Keegan, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
But voters should not reward candidates who hide behind weak excuses when avoiding debates and other unscripted events.

— Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of excuses

Noun

To combat Lamashtu, ancient Mesopotamians devised prayers and chants to ward her away from their homes, their wombs, their mothers, their sisters, their patients, their babies, and their communities.

— Eleanor Johnson, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Through the wonderful discovery of Christian Science, our prayers for the world are effective and bear fruit.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of prayers

Noun

Frimpong also referenced cases in which immigration officers offered justifications for an arrest that did not match evidence from the scene.

— Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Mulligan’s Lindsay is brittle, entitled and frequently cruel, giving the actress the chance to deliver scathing rejoinders and self-deluded justifications, all with a deep reservoir of personal disappointment.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of justifications

Noun

Successful habeas petitions do not necessarily lead to quick resolutions.

— Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
After pleadings and petitions from the Portuguese community in Fall River, de Mello was released in January 1914 after serving approximately 21 years and was deported to Portugal.

— Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of petitions

Noun

But that also has disastrous consequences, for different reasons.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
Catcher Caden Bodine had plenty of reasons to be excited about how his first season in the Rays organization went, following a December trade from Baltimore.

— Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of reasons

Browse Nearby Words

plead (to)

pleas

pleasance

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“Pleas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleas. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of pleas

noun

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