pleaded

verb

variants or pled also plead
past tense of plead
as in argued
to state (something) as a reason in support of or against something under consideration can I plead temporary insanity for having made that foolish decision?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 pleaded The teacher, Trent Muse, pleaded guilty last year to exposing himself to students and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026 In Arizona last year, 35-year-old Robb Hintzsche pleaded no contest to two counts of second-degree murder in a crash that killed a Lyft driver, her passenger and the passenger’s dog in the Phoenix suburb of Gilbert. — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026 Sean Payton pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter in February and was since released. — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2026 Scott pleaded guilty to one count in April 2025 and was sentenced in August to 70 months. — Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026 Clancy had pleaded not guilty to three first-degree murder charges. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026 Clancy, who was on trial for murdering her three young children, had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026 Morphew has pleaded not guilty and faces trial next summer in the death of his wife, who disappeared in 2020. — ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026 At the time, Lindsay pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder, three counts of strangulation and three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. — Selena Barrientos, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleaded
  1. argued
  2. reasoned
  3. contended
  4. insisted
Verb
  • The nationalist AfD’s landslide victory in a German state on Sunday could portend a far-right surge across Europe, analysts argued.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The four plaintiffs argued that the city failed to take steps to prevent further lead from entering the water supply and gave residents false assurance that the water was safe.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of argued
Verb
  • The judge also reasoned that jurors erred in calculating damages, specifically by mistaking a discount for an overcharge.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The judge reasoned that the compromise would be enough to allow Seyb to practice without fear of possible prosecution without extending the original injunction to doctors who weren’t part of the lawsuit.
    — Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of reasoned
Verb
  • Prosecutors also contended Alvarez was still an active member of the 18th Street gang.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • This increase in work, the jury contended, was directly tied to Skains’ decision to file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which determined Skains had the right to sue over the discrimination.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of contended
Verb
  • Parton didn't say so, but Steinem insisted more than three decades ago that the pair fit together under the same feminist flag.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Mills insisted the photos didn't need nudity to make an impression.
    — Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of insisted

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pleaded
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Cite this Entry

“Pleaded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleaded. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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