pleas

noun

plural of plea
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

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 If the judge finds there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial, Robinson will be arraigned and enter pleas. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 July 2026 Leo’s Saturday pleas to European and American leaders are not unprecedented. — Connor Greene, Time, 4 July 2026 Lunas Campos’ early pleas for help continued throughout his detention. — Perla Trevizo, ProPublica, 3 July 2026 Cinnamon Mary Trimpey, 57, entered the pleas before Sacramento Superior Court Judge David Bonilla. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026 Jones entered guilty pleas to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in schemes to defraud major sportsbooks, including DraftKings and FanDuel, and filch millions of dollars from unwitting poker players. — Chloe Atkins, NBC news, 29 June 2026 Savannah has made several heartbreaking pleas on Instagram and returned to work in April. — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 18 June 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleas
  1. appeals
  2. excuses
  3. prayers
  4. justifications
  5. petitions
  6. reasons
Noun
  • Martin said the order shows how strongly the judge prefers a deal over years more of litigation — and potential appeals.
    — Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026
  • Much of what couples experience as conflict is, on closer inspection, a disagreement about which interpretation of an ambiguous event is the correct one, and that disagreement is rarely settled by appeals to trust.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of appeals
Noun
  • They are better understood as excuses for expansions of state power that would benefit them.
    — Connor Okeeffe, Oc Register, 9 July 2026
  • The excuses that keep piling up The backyard isn’t my first condition.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 July 2026
Definition of excuses
Noun
  • There will be funeral prayers later at the Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala as well.
    — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • Muhammad Taqi al-Hakim, a senior scholar at the Najaf seminary, led the funeral prayers at the Shrine of Imam Ali, the Prophet Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
Definition of prayers
Noun
  • What was the breakdown for and against and what justifications did the majority give for its decision?
    — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • Its role is to expose wrongdoing, illuminate facts, and draw the world’s attention to crimes committed in the name of false causes and manufactured justifications.
    — Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
Definition of justifications
Noun
  • Those petitions ballooned after the administration began limiting the ability of many immigrants to seek release through bond hearings in immigration court.
    — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a pair of emergency petitions filed by activist groups to stop the implementation of a Texas law requiring app stores to verify users’ ages.
    — Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 6 July 2026
Definition of petitions
Noun
  • For reasons that remain unclear, he was subsequently approved to be moved in with other detainees.
    — Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026
  • The national media is starting to take note of the Miami Marlins for a variety of reasons.
    — Tyler M. Carmona, Miami Herald, 8 July 2026
Definition of reasons

Browse Nearby Words

plead (to)
pleas
pleasance
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Cite this Entry

“Pleas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleas. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pleas

Nglish: Translation of pleas for Spanish Speakers

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