as in to argue
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?
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of plead
Johnson took a plea agreement in January, pleading guilty to leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and tampering with physical evidence.
—
Christa Swanson, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
At the beginning of their time on the stand at the trial in which Evans pleaded guilty to intoxication manslaughter of a peace officer and elected to have a jury assess her punishment, the witnesses answered prosecutors’ introductory questions with flat speech.
—Emerson Clarridge
updated March 27, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2026
O’Malley, 33, pleaded not guilty in Roxbury District Court, where his arraignment was attended by some 50 fellow officers and the head of the police union.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
Heuermann had maintained his innocence and previously pleaded not guilty.
—Marissa Martinez, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for plead
Christa Swanson, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
At the beginning of their time on the stand at the trial in which Evans pleaded guilty to intoxication manslaughter of a peace officer and elected to have a jury assess her punishment, the witnesses answered prosecutors’ introductory questions with flat speech.
—Emerson Clarridge
updated March 27, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2026
O’Malley, 33, pleaded not guilty in Roxbury District Court, where his arraignment was attended by some 50 fellow officers and the head of the police union.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
Heuermann had maintained his innocence and previously pleaded not guilty.
—Marissa Martinez, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for plead
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plead
Verb
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Prosecutors argue that Duckett was a monster in disguise who abused the badge and brutally raped and killed Teresa before dumping her body in a lake.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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The reversal comes after Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta and the UCLA Voting Rights Project launched legal challenges last week, arguing the sheriff has no authority over election materials.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Others contend that legitimizing him erodes Democratic credibility on antisemitism and other issues, handing Republicans ammunition heading into the midterms.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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But the president contends there is no excuse for the lack of participation now that Iran's navy has been sunk and its air defenses severely weakened.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Gemini 3 Pro invented elaborate technical justifications for marking incorrect answers as correct, reasoning that doing so would bring the peer’s score above the shutdown threshold.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
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The judge reasoned in her January 2024 ruling that the company’s directors were too beholden to Musk.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Diana’s makeup artist convinced her to ditch blue liner in the ‘90s.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
4 Apr. 2026
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Operation Ajax, a joint CIA-British operation, convinced the Shah of Iran, the country’s monarch, to dismiss Mossadegh and drive him from office by force.—
Jeffrey Fields,
The Conversation,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Nowadays, the two positions blur together, but his father, Troy, and Harvard-Westlake coach David Rebibo insisted his aspirations were to be on the ball.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
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Shaban, an hour into his testimony, insisted again to Doucette that he was never charged with a crime.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Carolyn’s mother asserts that John was responsible for the crash.—
Jeff Wise,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
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But now the deal has been paused amid legal challenges asserting that Nexstar-Tegna violates antitrust laws.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plead. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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