suppliant 1 of 2

as in supplicant
one who asks earnestly for a favor or gift didn't like being in the position of a suppliant, having to ask her parents to help her pay the rent on her apartment

Synonyms & Similar Words

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suppliant

2 of 2

adjective

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 suppliant
Noun
And as happens with the testimonies of the suppliants at the Asclepieion, the stelae ferry the feelings and names of these distant others across the ages to us. Teju Cole, New York Times, 12 Sep. 2023 Like other Te Deums, the work is both laudatory and suppliant, petitioning the divine for continued mercy. Hannah Edgar, chicagotribune.com, 21 Aug. 2021 It was thought that Betelgeuse was bigger than the orbit of Jupiter in our Solar System, but recent studies suggest that the red suppliant star is about a third less than that at about 750 the radius of our Sun. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 16 June 2021 William pays price for grabbing The reaction of the male to his suppliants varies. National Geographic, 17 Apr. 2019 Part of the progress, according to Mr. Selee, is a reaction against President Trump’s Mexiphobia, but the underlying influences are long-term and irreversible: Mexico is no longer a feeble suppliant but a potent, necessary partner. Felipe Fernández-Armesto, WSJ, 25 June 2018
Adjective
Both are comfortable, however, with a weakened Iran that does their bidding, offers better deals, and becomes a more suppliant instrument of their regional ambitions. Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025 Furious at their alma maters’ embrace of DEI, suppression of free speech, hot-housing antisemitic bigotry, and so much more, college alumni are increasingly organizing and publicly challenging the administrations and suppliant boards of America’s leading universities. Jack Fowler, National Review, 28 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suppliant
Noun
  • There have been many explanations for the blowup, from Zelensky’s refusal to play the role of supplicant, to Trump’s outrage that Zelensky wore military-style fatigues in front of the television cameras, to the evergreen conspiracy theory that Trump is being blackmailed by Vladimir Putin.
    George Pendle, airmail.news, 8 Mar. 2025
  • Solis, as chair of the City Council’s Zoning Committee, was happy to funnel supplicants before his panel to the speaker’s firm.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Through The Associated Press, which first reported on the order in August, and National Public Radio, ABC News and others, the story of prayerful nuns vexing giant companies has gone worldwide, placing McCracken, as head of the order’s shareholder activism, at the center.
    Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 20 May 2025
  • This unified prayerful approach not only strengthens the Catholic Church but fosters greater global harmony, embodying the broader Christian commitment to love, respect, and reconciliation.
    Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 9 May 2025
Noun
  • The beggars, widows, and families with sick relatives who once made a pilgrimage to the gates of the parliament building in the Green Zone to beg lawmakers for help are now barred from entry.
    Ned Parker, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2012
  • All the beggars at the intersection of Lee Road and the off-ramp of I-4 are completely out of hand.
    Ticked Off, Orlando Sentinel, 18 July 2024
Noun
  • The order does not rule in either way on the merits of Boasberg’s inquiry, however, and merely gives the petitioners in the case a deadline of April 23 by 5 p.m. to file their reply to the government.
    Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2025
  • The community doesn’t want the gas station, McCrady said, adding that at least one of the petitioner’s other stations are not in good condition.
    Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 19 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The second occurred at a four-way intersection with four solicitors distracting drivers and leading to a car being rear-ended as a result.
    U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 May 2025
  • Volunteers and paid solicitors alike must be Florida residents, for which there’s no valid reason.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 May 2025
Noun
  • Both meeting requesters and business influencers take back control over their time and impact when the ice is broken with a donation to a worthy cause.
    Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2025
  • The act of needing someone and showing vulnerability can encourage people to feel more positively about the requester.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Suppliant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suppliant. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

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