Thesaurus results for PLEA

Q: How does the noun 'plea' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of plea are alibi , apologia , apology , excuse , and pretext . While all these words mean "matter offered in explanation or defense," plea stresses argument or appeal for understanding or sympathy or mercy. // her usual plea that she was nearsighted

Q: When is 'alibi' a more appropriate choice than 'plea'?

The words alibi and plea can be used in similar contexts, but alibi implies a desire to shift blame or evade punishment and imputes mere plausibility to the explanation. // his alibi failed to stand scrutiny

Q: When can 'apologia' be used instead of 'plea'?

The meanings of apologia and plea largely overlap; however, apologia implies not admission of guilt or regret but a desire to make clear the grounds for some course, belief, or position. // his speech was an apologia for his foreign policy

Q: When would 'apology' be a good substitute for 'plea'?

While the synonyms apology and plea are close in meaning, apology usually applies to an expression of regret for a mistake or wrong with implied admission of guilt or fault and with or without reference to mitigating or extenuating circumstances. // said by way of apology that he would have met them if he could

Q: Where would 'excuse' be a reasonable alternative to 'plea'?

While in some cases nearly identical to plea , excuse implies an intent to avoid or remove blame or censure. // used illness as an excuse for missing the meeting

Q: When is it sensible to use 'pretext' instead of 'plea'?

In some situations, the words pretext and plea are roughly equivalent. However, pretext suggests subterfuge and the offering of false reasons or motives in excuse or explanation. // used any pretext to get out of work

plea

noun

ˈplē

Definition of plea

as in appeal

an earnest request the captive made an impassioned plea for his life to be spared

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in excuse

an explanation that frees one from fault or blame my only plea is that I've been overworked lately

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun plea contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of plea are alibi, apologia, apology, excuse, and pretext. While all these words mean "matter offered in explanation or defense," plea stresses argument or appeal for understanding or sympathy or mercy.

her usual plea that she was nearsighted

When is alibi a more appropriate choice than plea?

The words alibi and plea can be used in similar contexts, but alibi implies a desire to shift blame or evade punishment and imputes mere plausibility to the explanation.

his alibi failed to stand scrutiny

When can apologia be used instead of plea?

The meanings of apologia and plea largely overlap; however, apologia implies not admission of guilt or regret but a desire to make clear the grounds for some course, belief, or position.

his speech was an apologia for his foreign policy

When would apology be a good substitute for plea?

While the synonyms apology and plea are close in meaning, apology usually applies to an expression of regret for a mistake or wrong with implied admission of guilt or fault and with or without reference to mitigating or extenuating circumstances.

said by way of apology that he would have met them if he could

Where would excuse be a reasonable alternative to plea?

While in some cases nearly identical to plea, excuse implies an intent to avoid or remove blame or censure.

used illness as an excuse for missing the meeting

When is it sensible to use pretext instead of plea?

In some situations, the words pretext and plea are roughly equivalent. However, pretext suggests subterfuge and the offering of false reasons or motives in excuse or explanation.

used any pretext to get out of work

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 plea As part of the plea, Marodi also admitted to having a prior serious felony conviction stemming from the 2000 stabbing death of her then-husband, James Joseph Olejniczak. — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026 Trump reportedly watched the violence on television from the White House, refusing pleas from conservative television hosts, aides, and family members to call for an end to the violence. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026 The plea deal Butler initially pleaded not guilty to all charges. — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026 Six months later, no suspects have been named and Savannah has made several public pleas for anyone with information to come forward. — Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for plea

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plea

Noun

He was sentenced to death in 1986, won an appeal for a new sentencing hearing and was again sentenced to death in 1989.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
The mish-mash of different stands, for instance, at Harrogate Town’s Wetherby Road — now no longer part of the ’92’, following their relegation in May— gave the place a certain appeal, even though the National League felt a more natural home.

— Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of appeal

Noun

Making suffering the defining criterion of consciousness misdiagnoses our failure and gives us an excuse not to recognize consciousness if treating another mind as a tool or resource is more convenient.

— Andréa Morris, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
The Wings will have played six games in 12 days, but Fernandez wouldn’t use that as an excuse for his team.

— Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of excuse

Noun

Thank you for your messages, your prayers, your encouragement, and for standing beside our team throughout these past weeks.

— Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
Later winter sunrises could make morning prayers more difficult, particularly in parts of the Midwest and Mountain West.

— Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of prayer

Noun

Twitch had a simple justification for letting its parent company, Amazon, use streamers’ content to train generative AI by default.

— Angela Yang, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2026
Additionally, searches using Flock’s system will now require search justification by requiring case codes for all law enforcement searches with an exemption for emergency searches, which will still be reviewed.

— Joel Feder, The Drive, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of justification

Noun

The petition was launched on Canada's parliamentary petitions portal, where citizens and residents of Canada can set up petitions to parliament.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
But House Republican leader Vincent Candelora, who led the petition drive to defeat MacCormack, said fellow Republicans will continue to work against him.

— Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of petition

Noun

These groups that are coming here are coming for one reason, and that is to provoke a reaction and generate attention.

— Heath Kalb, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
The suit maintains that the commission’s denial does not identify any adverse impact to a wetland function or value, nor any feasible and prudent alternatives to address the Commission’s reasons for denial, in violation of state law, Conn.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of reason

Noun

Cochran said the dispute was too fact-specific to resolve at the pleading stage and allowed the case to proceed, leaving Warner free to challenge the claims later.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2026
There was no pathetic pleading with the audience to come closer.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of pleading

Noun

Meta’s India headache A parliamentary panel last Wednesday demanded an apology from Mark Zuckerberg within three days over the brief restriction of a post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Meta Platform’s Facebook.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
Many iTunes users weren’t so pleased, causing the band to issue an apology.

— Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of apology

Browse Nearby Words

plazas

plea

pleach

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Style

“Plea.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plea. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of plea

noun

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