1
as in to commit
to obligate by prior agreement
I would love to go to dinner with you, but I've pledged myself to a play with my parents that night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to pawn
to leave as a guarantee of repayment of a loan
pledged their house against the loan
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to vow
to make a solemn declaration of intent
I pledge that I will abide by all of the rules of this organization
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in guarantee
something given or held to assure that the giver will keep a promise
I was required to leave my keys as a pledge that I would bring the car back
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in promise
a person's solemn declaration that he or she will do or not do something
made a pledge to quit smoking
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 pledge
Fatima Hussein, Fortune, 12 June 2026
It was organized with help from the local Haitian consulate, and funded in part by Sikhs for Justice, which had pledged $100,000.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
Sydney Lake, Fortune, 9 June 2026
His opponent, Cepeda, pledges to continue Petro’s pro-worker reforms.
—Alfie Pannell, Miami Herald, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for pledge
Verb
The first lady said 23 governors, all Republicans, have pledged to allow state agencies to begin the process of enrolling children in the program.
—Fatima Hussein, Fortune, 12 June 2026
It was organized with help from the local Haitian consulate, and funded in part by Sikhs for Justice, which had pledged $100,000.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
Noun
In his pledge letter, Schwarzman also pointed to artificial intelligence as a defining concern.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 9 June 2026
His opponent, Cepeda, pledges to continue Petro’s pro-worker reforms.
—Alfie Pannell, Miami Herald, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for pledge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pledge
Verb
-
Despite shooting 1-for-16 and committing five turnovers in the final period, Valkyries coach Nakase said nothing worried her about her team’s fourth quarter performance.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
-
Trump has said Iran has committed not to possess a nuclear weapon, though the exact terms would be worked out over the next 60 days under a memorandum of understanding.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
There were 46 items in the safe, some of which Kisakye allegedly pawned and sold to feed a substantial gambling habit.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
3 June 2026
-
If a helmet is too outdated for your family to use, don't pawn it off on someone else.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Confluence Hydro, the company set to buy the dams along with tens of thousands of surrounding acres, has vowed to modernize and relicense them to generate energy for decades to come.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
Numerous Democratic lawmakers have vowed to investigate matters relating to Paramount and Trump if their party prevails in the midterm elections.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
When installed correctly, with the proper slope, however, many models offer some protection from drizzles or light showers, but this isn’t a guarantee.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
10 June 2026
-
First, trust needs to come through technical guarantees rather than geographic restrictions.—
Leonard Lim,
Fortune,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Essayli’s public callouts and promises are highly unusual and in direct conflict with Justice Department guidance on ballot fraud investigations at the federal level, which states federal prosecutors should not publicly pursue such claims amid vote counting.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
-
Calls to defend democracy promise to alienate anyone who feels that democratic institutions have somehow failed them.—
Scott Warren,
The Atlantic,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
The fine will be deposited into the state’s general fund and can be paid using campaign dollars.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
12 June 2026
-
In simple terms, not every dollar deposited is actually available to spend.—
Michael Shribman,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
The jurors are sworn to secrecy, along with prosecutors and investigators.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
-
The lefty the brass swore was the bedrock of the future rotation.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Instead, the agreement envisions the establishment of maritime security by coastal countries in the region.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
-
In its statement on Friday, Anthropic said the government did not provide specific details about its national security concern.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pledge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pledge. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
