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

Relevance
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 Yet, despite Smith being the ratings magnet on the network, his pleas to protect his colleague were ignored. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026 According to data from June, prosecutors have secured guilty pleas in 40 of those cases — but lost nearly every case that has gone to trial. — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026 Joseph Charles Henrichsen, 49, and Phoenix Henrichsen, 23, appeared in federal court in Sacramento on Monday but did not enter pleas to charges of kidnapping a federal employee and aiding and abetting. — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 21 July 2026 Players including Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, former Jets defensive tackle Solomon Thomas and former Giants safety Julian Love used the hashtag #WorthTheCost in their online pleas. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 20 July 2026 Each post has been circulated repeatedly with desperate pleas from bereaved owners and basic information about their beloved animals. — Anabella Gonzalez, CNN Money, 19 July 2026 Walker had earlier entered pleas of not guilty to the charges in the initial complaint. — Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026 All three appeared in court Wednesday and entered not guilty pleas to the misdemeanor charge of destruction of property. — Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 9 July 2026 The suspensions by the state Supreme Court followed guilty pleas by Sarkin and Levitt, Florida Bar members since 1992 and 1988, respectively. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 8 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleas
  1. appeals
  2. excuses
  3. prayers
  4. justifications
  5. petitions
  6. reasons
Noun
  • French government appeals for people to avoid the region are causing consternation.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
  • At the same time, Ghana and other African nations have made more deliberate appeals to descendants of the diaspora through citizenship, residency, tourism and investment initiatives.
    — Richard Fowler, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of appeals
Noun
  • Likewise, don't let someone else's excuses diminish what happened.
    — Brian Taylor, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Yes, the excuses used to finally get them in the same frame together run the gamut from strained to getthefuckouttahere.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026
Definition of excuses
Noun
  • During this incredibly difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with the Ulbrich family.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 31 July 2026
  • Our thoughts, prayers, and heartfelt condolences are with the families, friends, classmates, and everyone affected by this heartbreaking tragedy.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 30 July 2026
Definition of prayers
Noun
  • Echoing Turkey’s justifications for its contentious S-400 acquisition completed the year before, which led a ban from the F-35 program and CAATSA sanctions slapped on Ankara, Iraqi officials claimed America offered no viable alternative.
    — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • And in many cases, the same justifications elucidated by Douglass remain.
    — Jacob Ware, The Conversation, 31 July 2026
Definition of justifications
Noun
  • Currently, initiative petitions pass with a statewide majority.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026
  • While the prospect seems unlikely given recent developments, the opportunity for athletes to petition still exists, as the official confirmed there is no deadline for the committee’s review of petitions.
    — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of petitions
Noun
  • The reasons why the world is turning up its nose at oil are complex.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
  • For a variety of reasons, three intriguing All-Stars — the Colorado Rockies’ Hunter Goodman, Athletics’ Shea Langeliers and Baltimore Orioles switch-hitter Adley Rutschman — are less likely to move.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of reasons

Browse Nearby Words

plead (to)
pleas
pleasance
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pleas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleas. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on pleas

Nglish: Translation of pleas for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All