as in begging
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 praying
But to play in front of your home country, Dempsey is now praying that the team gets off to a hot start against Paraguay to kick off their Group D play on June 12 in Los Angeles.
—
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 28 May 2026
Friberg's painting of Washington praying is particularly popular among church members.
—Neda Ulaby, NPR, 27 May 2026
Pilgrims brave intense heat Many spend years hoping and praying to one day perform the Hajj or saving up money and waiting for a permit to embark on the trip.
—Mariam Fam, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2026
Many spend years hoping and praying to one day perform the Hajj or saving up money and waiting for a permit to embark on the trip.
—Baraa Anwer, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026
And so, Rue finds herself in a church pew, praying for forgiveness.
—Marlow Stern, Variety, 24 May 2026
No person should feel unsafe while praying in a mosque, church, synagogue or temple.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
Panettiere recalls Klitschko sharing a Ukrainian tradition for good luck that involved kneeling before a tree and praying with both hands wrapped around it.
—Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
And this was someone who’d been praying for the end of the Islamic Republic and for the demise of Khamanei.
—Daniel Drake, The New York Review of Books, 16 May 2026
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 28 May 2026
Friberg's painting of Washington praying is particularly popular among church members.
—Neda Ulaby, NPR, 27 May 2026
Pilgrims brave intense heat Many spend years hoping and praying to one day perform the Hajj or saving up money and waiting for a permit to embark on the trip.
—Mariam Fam, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2026
Many spend years hoping and praying to one day perform the Hajj or saving up money and waiting for a permit to embark on the trip.
—Baraa Anwer, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026
And so, Rue finds herself in a church pew, praying for forgiveness.
—Marlow Stern, Variety, 24 May 2026
No person should feel unsafe while praying in a mosque, church, synagogue or temple.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
Panettiere recalls Klitschko sharing a Ukrainian tradition for good luck that involved kneeling before a tree and praying with both hands wrapped around it.
—Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
And this was someone who’d been praying for the end of the Islamic Republic and for the demise of Khamanei.
—Daniel Drake, The New York Review of Books, 16 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for praying
Verb
-
In a story this complicated, where everyone from a little girl to a grown man from Boston is begging for their humanity, even Howard Stevens deserves some, too.—
Lyz Lenz,
Rolling Stone,
28 May 2026
-
Small steps were made, but dissatisfaction set in towards the end — and a golden chance went begging.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Despite already petitioning onto the June primary election ballot, Marx won nearly 40% of the vote at the Republican state assembly last month.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
26 May 2026
-
Last year, she was also impeached by the House but survived by successfully petitioning the Supreme Court to declare the impeachment bid unconstitutional on a technicality.—
Jim Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Praying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/praying. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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