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
In October, his children made heartfelt pleas to a New York federal judge to see their father released from federal lockup after more than a year of incarceration.
—
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026
Joseph and Kendra have both entered not guilty pleas to all charges.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026
The Yankees invited him to throw out a first pitch; the Orlando Magic gave him courtside seats and fans got wind of the effort and started flooding his social media with messages and pleas.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 13 June 2026
After Hakim, Feyock, Zou and Weger entered not guilty pleas, Patti ordered them to be released on bond, according to court records reviewed by Fox News Digital.
—James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026
The father of four said that people ignored his pleas to stop, and instead started booing and slapping him.
—Jared Ochacher, CBS News, 12 June 2026
As Pryor read off the names and case numbers, Broward Circuit Judge Andrew Siegel vacated their pleas, convictions and sentences.
—Rafael Olmeda, Miami Herald, 12 June 2026
Dominguez entered pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to charges stemming from the April 26, 2023, stabbing death of Breaux, 50, in Central Park and the April 29, 2023, killing of graduating UC Davis student Abou Najm, 20, along a bicycle path in Sycamore Park.
—Darrell Smith
june 8, Sacbee.com, 8 June 2026
Two other defendants entered guilty pleas.
—David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 8 June 2026
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026
Joseph and Kendra have both entered not guilty pleas to all charges.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026
The Yankees invited him to throw out a first pitch; the Orlando Magic gave him courtside seats and fans got wind of the effort and started flooding his social media with messages and pleas.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 13 June 2026
After Hakim, Feyock, Zou and Weger entered not guilty pleas, Patti ordered them to be released on bond, according to court records reviewed by Fox News Digital.
—James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026
The father of four said that people ignored his pleas to stop, and instead started booing and slapping him.
—Jared Ochacher, CBS News, 12 June 2026
As Pryor read off the names and case numbers, Broward Circuit Judge Andrew Siegel vacated their pleas, convictions and sentences.
—Rafael Olmeda, Miami Herald, 12 June 2026
Dominguez entered pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to charges stemming from the April 26, 2023, stabbing death of Breaux, 50, in Central Park and the April 29, 2023, killing of graduating UC Davis student Abou Najm, 20, along a bicycle path in Sycamore Park.
—Darrell Smith
june 8, Sacbee.com, 8 June 2026
Two other defendants entered guilty pleas.
—David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 8 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleas
Noun
-
On June 2, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled on two FMF appeals against FIFA bans, relating to friendlies in 2024 and 2025.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
-
Dallas appellate attorney David Coale, who has handled appeals for decades, said Anthony's team could have several strong arguments on appeal.—
S.E. Jenkins,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
There are no excuses to use this type of language, ever.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
-
By 1779, Washington had grown concerned that his men were finding excuses to avoid duty in order to play.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
In the centuries-old Cape Town Muslim community of my childhood, none of this was particularly unusual; older people spoke freely about ghosts or jinn, counseling us to take precautions of prayers, salt, incense, to limit our interaction with them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Dec. 2025
-
Kentucky State University need prayers.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
There are no obvious justifications, financial or otherwise.—
Sloane Crosley,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
-
These range from narratives on the current status of Crimea and justifications for the war in Ukraine to the history of NATO and justification for Russia’s annexation of Baltic states during World War II.—
Kyle Orland,
ArsTechnica,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
In the meantime, employers are left guessing whether the $100,000 charge applies to petitions filed today.—
Jacqueline Munis,
Fortune,
10 June 2026
-
The bill’s passage comes as GOP leadership has become increasingly frustrated with the usage of discharge petitions, a tool that used to be rare, to take vote-scheduling power out of the hands of the majority.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Høiby was not present in court on Monday because of health reasons.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
-
Still, some people reportedly didn’t get an invite, and for two of those, the reasons are reportedly obvious.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pleas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleas. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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