1
as in appeals
an earnest request
the captive made an impassioned plea for his life to be spared
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in excuses
an explanation that frees one from fault or blame
my only plea is that I've been overworked lately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pleas
During back-to-back hearings in Brooklyn federal court, Jones entered guilty pleas to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in schemes to defraud major sportsbooks, including DraftKings and FanDuel, and filch millions of dollars from unwitting poker players.
—
Michael R. Sisak, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, Larysa was stuck in Belarus, a country allied with Russia that Nataliia despised and had refused to move to, despite her daughter’s many pleas.
—Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
In December, Jon and Carie Hallford entered guilty pleas to state charges.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
The move to abandon the criminal probe comes after weeks of private pleas from Senate Republicans that grew increasingly public.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
The two men are scheduled to appear in federal Los Angeles court today, and no pleas will be taken, the US DOJ said.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Though Niall tries to calm Ruben, his pleas fall on deaf ears.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
During Burke’s arraignment Monday afternoon, his defense team entered not guilty pleas on his behalf to all counts, arguing that evidence shows Burke did not kill the girl, the Associated Press reported.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Burke’s attorney, Blair Berk, entered the pleas on the singer’s behalf and reiterated his claim of innocence.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2026
Michael R. Sisak, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, Larysa was stuck in Belarus, a country allied with Russia that Nataliia despised and had refused to move to, despite her daughter’s many pleas.
—Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
In December, Jon and Carie Hallford entered guilty pleas to state charges.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
The move to abandon the criminal probe comes after weeks of private pleas from Senate Republicans that grew increasingly public.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
The two men are scheduled to appear in federal Los Angeles court today, and no pleas will be taken, the US DOJ said.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Though Niall tries to calm Ruben, his pleas fall on deaf ears.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
During Burke’s arraignment Monday afternoon, his defense team entered not guilty pleas on his behalf to all counts, arguing that evidence shows Burke did not kill the girl, the Associated Press reported.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Burke’s attorney, Blair Berk, entered the pleas on the singer’s behalf and reiterated his claim of innocence.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleas
Noun
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But appeals to return it have grown with the rise of social media, most notably after Queen Elizabeth II died almost four years ago.—
Doha Madani,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
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Years of appeals followed and he was resentenced to death in 1988, 1993 and 1996.—
Jeffrey Collins,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Venus and Saturn make this full moon the right time to finally take a look at your figures without excuses.—
Glamour,
Glamour,
25 Apr. 2026
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Yet both Piker and Tolentino move from discussing nonlethal crimes of nuisance and destruction to making excuses for murder.—
Thomas Chatterton Williams,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Thank you for all the well-wishes and prayers.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
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Local officials have called for prayers for the souls of the victims, and the strength of the survivors.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Grove said the agency’s justifications for consolidating offices in Salt Lake City, Utah, don’t make sense.—
Karl Hille,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Apr. 2026
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The numbers and justifications don’t add up.—
Kristen Monsell,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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On Tuesday in Oak Park, voters placed their petitions in ballot boxes, then people weighed in on both sides of the issue, and strong emotions were expressed by those for and against placing the advisory measure on the ballot in a session where each comment was limited to two minutes.—
Cam'ron Hardy,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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Residents launched a fierce opposition campaign, packing city council meetings and mounting petitions.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Of course, artists make choices in biographical shows for a whole variety of reasons, whether in service of the storytelling, to appease those who would prefer to remain anonymous or even self-protection.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
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One of the primary reasons that some car buyers avoid vehicles with electric powertrains is the lengthy duration of charging sessions.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pleas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleas. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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