as in to beg
to make a request to (someone) in an earnest or urgent manner
I pray you: tell me where they went
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Recent Examples of pray
The occurrences grew more aggressive over time, with the Smurls' 75-pound German shepherd getting slammed into a wall and Jack getting attacked while praying.
—
Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
Vatican officials say both the mother of the young boy and the injured woman had prayed to Acutis for help.
—Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 7 Sep. 2025
Soon after, an army of local women show up, strip a wary Julia of her gown and pray over her naked belly before dressing her in a new nightie and easing her down onto the bed.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
Is the demon in Annabelle the same Ram that the cult prays to?
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pray
Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
Vatican officials say both the mother of the young boy and the injured woman had prayed to Acutis for help.
—Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 7 Sep. 2025
Soon after, an army of local women show up, strip a wary Julia of her gown and pray over her naked belly before dressing her in a new nightie and easing her down onto the bed.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
Is the demon in Annabelle the same Ram that the cult prays to?
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pray
Verb
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As summer winds down and your strands have endured heatwaves, pool days, and sweaty workouts, your curls might be begging for a break.—
Larry Stansbury,
Essence,
4 Sep. 2025
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Here’s the at-home solution your achy legs have been begging for.—
Jenny McCoy,
SELF,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Haunted by the lack of answers and stymied by Mexican authorities, Barraza has turned to Chicago attorney John Lee to petition an international tribunal for help in finding the truth and getting justice.—
Ray Long,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
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Heuermann's defense team petitioned the judge to exclude the evidence, arguing that whole genome sequencing is not widely accepted by the scientific community.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pray. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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