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?
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Recent Examples of pleads
Bree pleads with her not to go with him.
—
Pamela Avila, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
Bree pleads with her not to go.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 17 Feb. 2026
But in an earlier scene, Nixon pleads with his wife not to divorce him, reminding her of their idyllic courtship days; Williams’ music here is a lyrical love theme for solo trumpet and strings — pure bittersweet Americana.
—Tim Greiving, HollywoodReporter, 20 Dec. 2025
Mike Hellgren Lawyer pleads for help Diaz Morales's lawyer, Victoria Slatton,'s videos have gone viral on TikTok.
—Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
March 24, 2025 Clark pleads not guilty to his federal charges.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 16 Dec. 2025
Williamson pleads ‘not guilty’ Almost a full year after she was interviewed by the FBI, Williamson was arrested in her Carmichael home.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 15 Nov. 2025
After her sisters turn to dust, Winifred pleads with Becca for help.
—Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Stiffler pleads to fight against tax increases, scrutinizing incoming land developers, and back law enforcement if voted onto the council, her campaign site says.
—Pj Green
october 20, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2025
Pamela Avila, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
Bree pleads with her not to go.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 17 Feb. 2026
But in an earlier scene, Nixon pleads with his wife not to divorce him, reminding her of their idyllic courtship days; Williams’ music here is a lyrical love theme for solo trumpet and strings — pure bittersweet Americana.
—Tim Greiving, HollywoodReporter, 20 Dec. 2025
Mike Hellgren Lawyer pleads for help Diaz Morales's lawyer, Victoria Slatton,'s videos have gone viral on TikTok.
—Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
March 24, 2025 Clark pleads not guilty to his federal charges.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 16 Dec. 2025
Williamson pleads ‘not guilty’ Almost a full year after she was interviewed by the FBI, Williamson was arrested in her Carmichael home.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 15 Nov. 2025
After her sisters turn to dust, Winifred pleads with Becca for help.
—Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Stiffler pleads to fight against tax increases, scrutinizing incoming land developers, and back law enforcement if voted onto the council, her campaign site says.
—Pj Green
october 20, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleads
Verb
-
Stubborn Venus in your visible 10th house argues with intense Pluto in your 7th House of Alliances, spotlighting a tug-of-war between public praise and private promises.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In her letter to acting TSA Administrator Nguyen McNeill, dated April 3, the Illinois senator argues that TSA's lack of response may actually violate federal law.—
Sarah Ploss,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The administration contends this interpretation aligns with historical constitutional understanding rather than contradicting it.—
Carlos De Loera,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Biblical scholar Bart Ehrman contends that our modern sense of altruism can be traced back to the radical shift in ethical thinking sparked by Jesus' teachings.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
Verb
-
Curator argues for replacing—or at least displaying both—while The Boss, beholden to donors and a governing board, insists Old Art stays and New Art must go.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Ulbrich insists he was always convinced that those predictions were wrong.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Carolyn’s mother asserts that John was responsible for the crash.—
Jeff Wise,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
-
While the Ratanapakdee family asserts he was attacked because of his race, hate crime charges were not filed and the argument was not raised in trial.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pleads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleads. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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