pleading 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of pleadingnext
as in prayerful
asking humbly a pleading husband seeking forgiveness once again from his long-suffering wife

Synonyms & Similar Words

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pleading

2 of 3

noun

ˈplē-diŋ How to pronounce pleading (audio)
as in plea
an earnest request coldhearted tourists pointedly ignoring the pleadings of the city's many street urchins

Synonyms & Similar Words

pleading

3 of 3

verb

present participle of plead
as in arguing
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

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 pleading
Noun
Daniel Tucker, a leader with Stand Up KC, can be seen in the video pleading with Miller to walk out of the room with him to try and defuse the tense moment. — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 18 Aug. 2026 Cochran said the dispute was too fact-specific to resolve at the pleading stage and allowed the case to proceed, leaving Warner free to challenge the claims later. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
Earlier this year, Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to defrauding investors and lenders of at least $248 million. — ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026 The arrest and York subsequently pleading no contest to lesser charges didn't stop the story from going viral and putting York in the crosshairs of the NFL Personal Conduct Policy. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pleading
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleading
  1. prayerful
  2. plea
  3. arguing
  4. begging
  5. appeal
  6. reasoning
  7. prayer
  8. contending
Adjective
  • Tigua dancers of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo performed a prayerful ceremony traditional before a hunt.
    — Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 28 June 2026
  • That’s the prayerful explanation for the nonsense that spouted this week from the leaders of a football conference that hopes to grow up and be the Big Ten someday.
    — Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Definition of prayerful
Noun
  • Even though Vaughn's initial plea was not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, and a mental status exam was ordered, no pretrial tests were done.
    — Brett Barrouquere, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026
  • For good measure, Pabst’s social media updates took a tongue-in-cheek approach that may have actually convinced people the posts were more playful than actual pleas for help.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of plea
Verb
  • The group has—so far unsuccessfully—called on both the NCAA and Big 12 to end the affiliation, arguing against universities participating in a youth-facing marketing campaign for energy drinks.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Approaching a parent with love and concern instead of arguing for their treatment can help alleviate a lot of stress.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of arguing
Adjective
  • Violators can be punished with fines up to $500 and three months in jail under one anti-begging law and with fines starting at up to $100 and 10 days in jail under a law against soliciting contributions from people in cars.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 Feb. 2026
Definition of begging
Noun
  • Now, in the midst of a subdued market, investors are being more selective, and the new playbook for funding fashion has a lot to do with the quality of that growth, the depth of connection with customers and the founder’s individual appeal.
    — Tara Donaldson, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Lucas chose to accept his execution and waive further appeals after DeSantis signed his death warrant in July.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of appeal
Verb
  • Some aldermen sought to ban them, reasoning that businesses using them should switch to the legalized, and therefore regulated and taxed, VGTs.
    — Joe Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Every prompt, retrieval, reasoning step and autonomous agent action consumes tokens that translate directly into cost.
    — Daniel Fallmann, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of reasoning
Noun
  • Its rise also marks the beginning of the Hindu celebration of Pitru Paksha, during which worshippers perform rites to honor ancestors by offering prayers and food to past members of their families.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Until its revival as an everyday, spoken language in the modern state of Israel, it was mostly reserved for prayers and religious writings.
    — Ilan Stavans, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of prayer
Verb
  • Boston Bruins The Bruins have an average at best roster and farm system, and trying to win while rebuilding on the fly is something that usually backfires more often than leading to a contending team.
    — Corey Pronman, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Kiley turned the criticism around, contending that his willingness to work with both parties was a strength.
    — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of contending

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Cite this Entry

“Pleading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleading. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pleading

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pleading

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