as in begged
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 prayed
And yet, even after more than two hundred years of digging, the city still has stories to tell — stories that belong not to the powerful but to the people who lived, worked, loved, and prayed in its streets.
—
Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Seeing the wall police breached to give people inside the club a chance to get out, or the bathrooms and dressing rooms where people hid, prayed for survival or reached out to family and friends carries an impact that spells out this nation’s terrifying vulnerability to gun violence.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026
The monks that used to live there made wine, prayed.
—Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026
As the waters threatened to sweep her away, 11-year-old Milly Cate McClymond closed her eyes and prayed to God.
—Time Staff, Time, 25 Feb. 2026
As the waters threatened to sweep her away, 11 year old Millie Kate McClelland closed her eyes and prayed to God.
—February 25, NPR, 25 Feb. 2026
His loved ones sang and prayed, and asked for the driver to turn themselves in.
—Caroline Foreback, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
The news shocked Bogan, who had prayed that the remains would not belong to her sister.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2026
Dreher knelt in one of the pews and prayed.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Seeing the wall police breached to give people inside the club a chance to get out, or the bathrooms and dressing rooms where people hid, prayed for survival or reached out to family and friends carries an impact that spells out this nation’s terrifying vulnerability to gun violence.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026
The monks that used to live there made wine, prayed.
—Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026
As the waters threatened to sweep her away, 11-year-old Milly Cate McClymond closed her eyes and prayed to God.
—Time Staff, Time, 25 Feb. 2026
As the waters threatened to sweep her away, 11 year old Millie Kate McClelland closed her eyes and prayed to God.
—February 25, NPR, 25 Feb. 2026
His loved ones sang and prayed, and asked for the driver to turn themselves in.
—Caroline Foreback, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
The news shocked Bogan, who had prayed that the remains would not belong to her sister.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2026
Dreher knelt in one of the pews and prayed.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prayed
Verb
-
Oprah begged me to talk to her.—
Maer Roshan,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Someone rushed off and begged Sava to love them back.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In 2008, Spears was placed in a conservatorship after her father petitioned a California court for authority over his daughter’s life and finances, citing her public mental health struggles, possible substance abuse and a psychiatric hold.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The Dallas County Democratic Party petitioned a judge to extend the hours due to confusion throughout the day, according to executive director Brenda Allen.—
Jamie Landers,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prayed. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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