prayers

noun

plural of prayer
1
as in petitions
an address to God or a deity he always directed a bedside prayer to God before going to sleep

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in appeals
an earnest request we hope that the governor will hear our prayer and do something about this pressing problem

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 prayers Jewish clergy, interfaith leaders and community members came together at the Horowitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza for a 45-minute service featuring prayers, songs and firsthand accounts of the violence that unfolded 88 years ago. — Eva Andersen, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026 Sometimes Lisa Huberman, the social action engagement associate at UMBC Hillel, arrives with Jewish students preparing for a Friday evening gathering while Muslim students are concluding their prayers. — Kyle Desrosiers-Levine, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026 Indians kick off Diwali festivities The Associated Press Diwali is the most important festival of the year in India, particularly for Hindus, and widely marked by prayers, family gatherings and the lighting of fireworks. — Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026 In the story, a young girl is performing the aarti [a Hindu ritual where a lamp is lit and prayers are offered] when her grandmother notices a menstrual stain on her clothes. — Kamala Thiagarajan, NPR, 7 Nov. 2026 Traditions vary by region but commonly include lights, fireworks, feasting, new clothes and prayers. — ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026 Just put in the effort and the prayers and have a little bit of luck and keep rolling on, baby. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2026 Best of luck to Aneha on getting a brand deal when your 12-episode reality show stint only earned you 10,000 followers, and thoughts and prayers with Cam for his upcoming surgery to implant a spine and a pair of balls. — Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026 Chris is a great friend to Connecticut and to me personally, and Annie and I are keeping him and his family in our prayers. — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prayers
  1. petitions
  2. appeals
  3. orisons
  4. pleas
  5. requests
Noun
  • Most of these people were freed through habeas corpus petitions, which let detainees challenge the government’s legal right to imprison them.
    — Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The state spends more than $200 million a year to adjudicate automatic death penalty appeals and habeas corpus petitions for inmates who, in all likelihood, will never be executed, according to a 2025 report by the Habeas Corpus Resource Center.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of petitions
Noun
  • The Planning and Land Use Management Committee instructed the city Planning Department in October 2025 to explore alternative price points for appeals that would decrease the amount of money the city’s general fund would have to subsidize.
    — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026
  • That is true, but evidence suggests that such altruistic appeals could fail to increase vaccination and might even backfire.
    — Jessica Fishman, STAT, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of appeals
Noun
  • Kibandi discussed with us about the power of art in creating change and how photography can be a vehicle for culture expanding orisons for girls and women.
    — Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2025
Definition of orisons
Noun
  • The National Capital Planning Commission heard nearly eight hours of impassioned pleas from veterans, lawmakers, residents and concerned citizens opposed to the structure.
    — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 6 Nov. 2026
  • As for the next chapters of Glee and Girls, may the writers’ rooms hear our post-election pleas.
    — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of pleas
Noun
  • Each October, pilgrims walk about 37 miles from the capital and nearby towns to give thanks or make requests to the Virgin of Luján, a small statue of Mary venerated as Argentina's patron saint.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Powell also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of requests

Browse Nearby Words

prayerfulness
prayers
praying
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prayers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prayers. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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