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 The organizations filed their plea to intervene with the Collin County district court handling the Paxtons’ case on Tuesday. —Lauren McGaughy, ProPublica, 17 Sep. 2025 Robinson has not yet entered a plea and does not currently have legal representation. —Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025 Panaro then nominated Lauren Domingue despite her pleas to stay off the block and having a Final 2 deal with her. —Christopher Kuhagen, jsonline.com, 17 Sep. 2025 As part of her plea deal, she will also be required to complete 200 hours of community service and pay fines and court fees. —Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 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 appeals administrator would be the one who does grant that or not grant that.
    — Lydia Mee, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
  • But its unique landscape appeals to a much broader range of demographics, from retirees checking off bucket-list destinations, to Southern California families escaping the sprawl, to young adults on a quest for self-discovery.
    — Paula Conway, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Definition of appeal
Noun
  • Not an excuse, but definitely a factor, from what I was told, in what turned into a sluggish showing on both sides of the ball.
    — Dianna Russini, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
  • There isn’t an excuse anymore that an AI maker has nothing available to provide AI ethics guidance.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Definition of excuse
Noun
  • My deepest condolences and prayers are with Trey's family during this difficult time.
    — James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
  • His family is asking for prayers and privacy at this time.
    — Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
Definition of prayer
Noun
  • Their justification for taking action on Wednesday evening closely mirrored Carr’s own comments earlier in the day.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2025
  • In one email reviewed by USA TODAY, a CDC employee was informed that their reasonable telework accommodation request had been withdrawn with no further explanation or justification in the middle of the night, giving them fewer than eight hours of notice before the next workday began.
    — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
Definition of justification
Noun
  • On Wednesday, New York mayoral favorite Zohran Mamdani launched a public petition, calling on FIFA to make tickets to 2026 World Cup games—including the final in New Jersey—affordable, pushing the international soccer organization to set aside 15% of seats for locals in particular.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • This was after the Zandvoort race stewards appointed by the FIA determined Williams’ Right of Review petition was admissible and then agreed Sainz’s penalty for colliding with Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson was unwarranted based on new evidence.
    — Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Definition of petition
Noun
  • Republicans argued this, and not pressure from Carr, was the reason behind ABC’s decision to bench Kimmel.
    — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
  • However, GPUs will remain one of the best solutions for both AI training and AI inference processing for two key reasons, which Nvidia is building upon with the Rubin CPX announcement.
    — Jim McGregor, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Definition of reason
Noun
  • Cannon found that counts 2-5, by incorporating the allegations in count 1, violated the federal rule against shotgun pleadings.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Ellis sought damages including medical expenses and lost wages and referenced a $24 million figure in pleadings mentioned during trial, ABC7 Eyewitness News reported.
    — Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Definition of pleading
Noun
  • As part of his apology, Bradley presented her with a five-diamond ring, with each rock signifying a new promise to his wife.
    — Beth Sobol, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
  • The criticism prompted an apology video posted on Townsend’s Instagram Story.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 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 20 Sep. 2025.

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