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 new law specifically allows high schools participating in a championship contests or series to pray using the public address system at the event.
—
Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
When Jesus called on us to turn the other cheek and pray for those who persecute us, it was supposed to be hard.
—Hillary Rodham Clinton, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Lorenzo Sewell, the senior pastor at 180 church in Detroit, prayed generally for the people of Minneapolis at the opening of the event.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
However, this season’s model became too tied to a passing game that the Rams had to hope and pray would remain healthy.
—Nate Atkins, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pray
Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
When Jesus called on us to turn the other cheek and pray for those who persecute us, it was supposed to be hard.
—Hillary Rodham Clinton, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Lorenzo Sewell, the senior pastor at 180 church in Detroit, prayed generally for the people of Minneapolis at the opening of the event.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
However, this season’s model became too tied to a passing game that the Rams had to hope and pray would remain healthy.
—Nate Atkins, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pray
Verb
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Still, the rapid adoption of Burrito League begs the challenge—what the hell is so appealing about running around and around and around the same restaurant for days on end?—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
30 Jan. 2026
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At a January press conference, executive producer Ben Winston admitted to getting on his knees and begging the comedian to return.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That idea carried beyond the classroom when students petitioned City Hall to make South Miami the nation’s first Compassionate City.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
29 Jan. 2026
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Constitutional concerns helped tank a bill Tuesday in the South Dakota House of Representatives that aimed to ban payments to petition circulators in ballot measure campaigns.—
John Hult,
States Newsroom,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pray. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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