pleads

verb

present tense third-person singular of plead
as in argues
to state (something) as a reason in support of or against something under consideration can I plead temporary insanity for having made that foolish decision?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 pleads Kanan goes to visit Stefano and pleads his case to let his mother live. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026 Daemon, on Ceraxes, tracks down his daughter on Sheepstealer and pleads with her again to remain hidden or avail herself of Rhaenyra’s mercy. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026 The former president pleads not guilty to 34 felony charges of falsifying business records stemming from his hush payment to Daniels. — Jessie Dimartino, ABC News, 29 July 2026 Phaedra pleads with Porsha to at least keep it cool at her birthday dinner that evening, but Porsha can’t even promise that. — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 20 July 2026 Fort Worth Police Department’s West Division At 17 minutes, Beth (Kelly Reilly) pleads with Sheriff Wade (Josh Stewart) at the Rio Paloma Sheriff’s Office to find Carter (Finn Little). — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 July 2026 Such agreements do not become effective until the defendant pleads guilty before a judge. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 30 June 2026 Mother pleads for help finding son His mother asked community members to check hotels, hostels, capsule hotels, internet cafés, manga cafés, train stations, convenience stores, hiking areas, rivers, shrines and other places. — Saleen Martin, USA Today, 3 June 2026 Continue reading … 'TWILIGHT ZONE' — NYC landlord pleads for help as '9-year-squatter' turns his life upside down. — FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleads
  1. argues
  2. contends
  3. reasons
  4. insists
  5. asserts
Verb
  • San Jose argues there's no reasonable expectation of privacy on public roads, pointing to a California appeals court decision that allowed police to access traffic camera footage of a murder suspect without a warrant.
    — Maddie White, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • In a new paper, Zahavy argues that current large language models (LLMs) may be unable to make original discoveries on their own.
    — Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of argues
Verb
  • Bar-Zemer contends that safety features could be installed to make sure pedestrians have enough time to exit the pathway if water rises swiftly.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
  • However, the author contends this limitation is insufficient, recalling the severe economic impact of prior Trump tariffs on major trading partners.
    — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of contends
Verb
  • How the Fed reasons its way to agreements is as important as the agreements.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 18 June 2026
  • The system reasons underneath, processing infinitely complex 3D scenarios, handling trade clashes, regulations and tradeoffs - learning from user feedback over time to eliminate the need for users to supervise its intelligence.
    — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Definition of reasons
Verb
  • Harvey, whose own foundation went 17 years without winning a single grant, argues AI can cut the paperwork burden — but insists human judgment and relationships stay irreplaceable.
    — Victor Dey, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of budgeting for $1,800 in tissues, the school insists on agitating parents all summer over crap like this.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of insists
Verb
  • The filing puts his value at some $600 million in assets and business interests at the time of his death, and asserts that Tracey is looking for her rightful share.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Hirsch asserts Turnout has helped more than 10,000 people with Social Security disability claims alone.
    — Victor Dey, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of asserts

Browse Nearby Words

pleading (to)
pleads
pleads (for)
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Cite this Entry

“Pleads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleads. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of pleads for Spanish Speakers

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