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 Davis, 63, has pleaded not guilty to murder with the use of a deadly weapon. — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026 In January, his former UC Davis assistant pleaded no contest to a felony charge of misappropriating public money. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 8 Aug. 2026 Marodi had initially pleaded not guilty to Rebecca’s murder before changing her plea to guilty to second-degree murder. — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026 The teen previously pleaded not guilty to initial charges in the case and is set to be arraigned again next month following the filing this week of additional charges. — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026 But court documents filed by Bussett in December allege that both victims and their families were told by the district attorney’s office that Butler would plead guilty and serve time at a juvenile facility in exchange for a youthful offender status. — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026 Keith Johnson, 25, pleaded guilty in June to voluntary manslaughter in the July 29, 2023, death of Frank Pulling, court records show. — Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026 Komoroski pleaded guilty in December 2024 to DUI causing death, two felony charges for a DUI causing great bodily injury and another charge for reckless homicide. — Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026 In October 2025, Morris pleaded guilty to five counts of lewd and indecent acts with a child and was sentenced to six months in the Osage County, Oklahoma, jail. — Giles Hudson, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleaded
  1. argued
  2. reasoned
  3. contended
  4. insisted
Verb
  • But Craig's supporters have argued that the four-term congresswoman is the more electable candidate, especially as Flanagan has been tied to the Minnesota governor's handling of the multimillion-dollar fraud schemes in the state.
    — Caroline Linton, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • That connection is ultimately what put Tupac’s life in jeopardy, Davis argued in the book Compton Street Legend, which has become a key piece of evidence in the case against him.
    — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of argued
Verb
  • At the time, 1587 Sneakers reasoned that the football stars often take part in national advertising campaigns, making New York a fitting place to file.
    — Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • At one point, an agent reasoned that helping the wider group could prove useful later, even when that work did not solve its immediate assignment.
    — Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of reasoned
Verb
  • The year 1933, Arendt contended, marked the close of the age of bourgeois emancipation and Jewish liberation, which brought an end to a feeling of security in the West and signaled that the new sense of security in the East was a pipe dream.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The union’s original grievance, the city contended, only challenged Biscari’s suspension pending resolution of his criminal case — not the underlying disciplinary action for the crash itself.
    — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of contended
Verb
  • Still, the billions of taxpayer dollars Congress has allocated for foreign aid programs must be spent; lawmakers have insisted the government continue to fund humanitarian aid, global health and pro-democracy causes around the world.
    — Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • But some House leaders insisted that the memorial be built on Capitol Hill, two miles to the east, since Lincoln had preserved the Union and worked closely with Congress during the Civil War.
    — Jennifer Tucker, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of insisted

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plead
pleaded
pleaded (for)
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Cite this Entry

“Pleaded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleaded. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of pleaded for Spanish Speakers

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