1
as in appeals
an earnest request
the captive made an impassioned plea for his life to be spared
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in excuses
an explanation that frees one from fault or blame
my only plea is that I've been overworked lately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pleas
Don't conflate us, Mansour pleas, even as many users, politicians and commentators mix them up regularly.
—
Bobby Allyn, NPR, 6 Mar. 2026
Cook’s attorney Kedar Ismail waived a formal reading of his client’s indictment and entered not guilty pleas on his behalf.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
Savannah and her siblings have posted several impassioned pleas to their mother's kidnapper, begging the person to let Nancy go.
—Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026
The paramilitary group Hezbollah was the first to act—despite pleas from the Lebanese government to stay out of the war.
—Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2026
At least two cases have been resolved through guilty pleas.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
But, according to the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, 90% of prosecutors accept guilty pleas without any follow-up testing.
—Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
Since then, 138 indictments have been issued from AHCCCS fraud referrals, with 46 indictments already resulting in convictions or guilty pleas.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
Do Weight-Bearing Exercise There’s a reason behind all the pleas for women to start strength training.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 26 Feb. 2026
Bobby Allyn, NPR, 6 Mar. 2026
Cook’s attorney Kedar Ismail waived a formal reading of his client’s indictment and entered not guilty pleas on his behalf.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
Savannah and her siblings have posted several impassioned pleas to their mother's kidnapper, begging the person to let Nancy go.
—Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026
The paramilitary group Hezbollah was the first to act—despite pleas from the Lebanese government to stay out of the war.
—Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2026
At least two cases have been resolved through guilty pleas.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
But, according to the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, 90% of prosecutors accept guilty pleas without any follow-up testing.
—Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
Since then, 138 indictments have been issued from AHCCCS fraud referrals, with 46 indictments already resulting in convictions or guilty pleas.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
Do Weight-Bearing Exercise There’s a reason behind all the pleas for women to start strength training.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 26 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleas
Noun
-
What follows this admission is a piercing dissection not of the art itself, but of frameworks of looking at Black art and life that go beyond racist tropes disguised as appeals to the primitive, the spontaneous, the corporeal.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Both prior appeals were denied.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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As the spotlight settles on each of them, that person unspools a monologue, a candid account of their origins, their desires and dreams, their galaxy of excuses and explanations.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
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The people who should be as jaded as the players are the owners, who must tire of excuses from sporting directors and managers about the limited results all this capital expenditure is delivering.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Zac now spends his days chasing his three under 3 around the house — playing games, saying prayers, changing diapers, and FaceTiming Mommy.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
-
When the killings started in 2016, clergy were the first responders, often called upon to say prayers for the dead and preside over funerals.—
Sheila Coronel,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Administration officials have offered various – and sometimes conflicting – justifications for the war, referencing Iran's growing ballistic missile program, its naval fleet, its network of terror proxy groups across the Middle East, and its nuclear ambitions.—
Claudia Grisales,
NPR,
10 Mar. 2026
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And with legal, moral, and practical justifications so thin on the ground from the administration, whiplash has ruled the day.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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California’s secretary of state launched an investigation after video surfaced that appeared to show people paid $5 to sign initiative petitions under other people’s names.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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In San Diego County, for example, 297 of the 516 petitions received to date (counting those made in 2026) have been dismissed, with 33% of those set aside because the request targeted someone who was not eligible under the Care Act.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Founded by Thomas Edison, the American inventor of the electric lightbulb, the company was long an orphan in the GE corporate portfolio, kept more for sentimental reasons, some analysts believed, than commercial ones.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
17 Mar. 2026
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But even casual high school boys basketball fans in the western suburbs recognize the Wolves as a force to be reckoned with by going toe-to-toe against top programs in the state under the direction of Velasquez, who is stepping down for some very good personal reasons.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pleas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleas. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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