plea

noun

ˈplē How to pronounce plea (audio)
Definition of pleanext
1
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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2
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 Details of the plea and charges have not yet been disclosed. —Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025 At the hearing Friday, Assistant US Attorney Madison Smyser informed the judge that Combs had rejected a plea deal offered by prosecutors, though no further details on what the plea deal entailed were revealed. —Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 25 Apr. 2025 The argument provided by the defense comes as the prosecution revealed Diddy rejected a plea deal offer. —Lauryn Overhultz , Kirill Clark, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2025 Aguirre reportedly distributed pills containing fentanyl to two more minors later that month, and one of them overdosed and survived, the plea agreement said. —Andrea Klick, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for plea
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plea
  1. appeal
  2. excuse
  3. prayer
  4. justification
  5. petition
  6. reason
  7. pleading
  8. apology
Noun
  • The independent from Vermont and undisputed leader of the American progressive movement raised $11.4 million, while spending only $1.3 million to prime the pump with digital appeals.
    — Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2025
  • The remedies in Google's app store case are currently on hold pending appeal, but that problem is not going away.
    — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 21 Apr. 2025
Definition of appeal
Noun
  • And certainly, the Tampa Bay Rays aren’t making any excuses.
    — Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 25 Apr. 2025
  • But their excuse for giving us protein every day is to give us beans almost every day.
    — Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025
Definition of excuse
Noun
  • The service will include prayer, scripture readings, communion, and worship music performed by an ensemble from Liberty University.
    — Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Apr. 2025
  • My thoughts and prayers are with Jon's family and loved ones.
    — David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025
Definition of prayer
Noun
  • Furthermore, China restricts the import of many U.S.-grown foods through its slow and complex approval process for biotech crops, often citing health and safety concerns as justification.
    — Garth Friesen, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Proposing de-extinction as justification for rolling back the Endangered Species Act and its many effective protections is a dangerous distraction.
    — Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 26 Apr. 2025
Definition of justification
Noun
  • The child was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on January 4, 2023, the petition says.
    — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 25 Apr. 2025
  • The community fought hard to keep Pepper in her original home and the Change.org petition to keep her in the library had 9,338 signatures as of April 23.
    — TJ Macias, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2025
Definition of petition
Noun
  • The reason for the independence, the Brookings Institution explains, is that politicians tend to want lower interest rates because lower rates stimulate the economy.
    — Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 21 Apr. 2025
  • The reason for the increase in the Tigers’ team score came after a review of Mizzou’s third rotation — balance beam.
    — Henry Chappell, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2025
Definition of reason
Noun
  • Others combined grand geopolitical theory with narrowly self-interested pleading.
    — Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Finally, a concerted Administration effort to generate public support for dismantling specific anticompetitive regulations that hit Americans hardest in the pocketbook might yield sufficient congressional support to overcome special interest pleadings.
    — Alden Abbott, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of pleading
Noun
  • With apologies to Brian Schottenheimer, how about Dallas?
    — The Athletic NFL Staff, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Godwin, now 18, pleaded guilty to the murder that outraged the city, offering an apology for the shooting.
    — Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2025
Definition of apology

Browse Nearby Words

plazas
plea
pleach
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Cite this Entry

“Plea.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plea. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

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