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 fact that Carrier’s plea deal contains only a single charge left some victims even more angry. —Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 30 May 2025 Josh Klinghoffer, the former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist, accepted a plea deal after facing a vehicular manslaughter charge. —August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025 The 16-year-old from Colombia was sentenced to probation and community service for the July 2024 death of Kaitlyn Weaver, 24, in Aurora after striking a plea deal with prosecutors. —Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 29 May 2025 Rosa Rodriguez’s plea deal said the parties involved made an agreement that every 10 pills that were distributed contained at least one gram of a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. —Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 May 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
  • However, after weeks of volatile visa policies, capped with the Trump administration’s move last week to terminate Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students, the appeal of the U.S. as a host country is in flux.
    — Anna Esaki-Smith, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
  • That case, like the one on school T-shirts, arose from appeals by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal group.
    — David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025
Definition of appeal
Noun
  • And what is a podcast, after all, if not an excuse to hang out with people who seem cool?
    — Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 28 May 2025
  • Wednesday, May 28, is National Hamburger Day, giving burger chains an excuse to offer their customers some deals.
    — Fielding Buck, Oc Register, 28 May 2025
Definition of excuse
Noun
  • Authorities also added that multiple houses and vehicles were on fire and expressed thoughts and prayers to those affected by the crash.
    — David Chiu, People.com, 22 May 2025
  • Listen to this article A small group, most wearing light jackets in the chilly May evening, gathered in prayer outside the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City Monday night just hours before Benjamin Ritchie was executed by lethal injection.
    — Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 20 May 2025
Definition of prayer
Noun
  • And still others, eyes already on 2028, are quietly offering up preemptive justifications before the blame begins to settle.
    — Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025
  • This revelation follows the Trump administration's use of the fight against antisemitism as a justification for deporting pro-Palestinian student protesters and implementing funding cuts to universities.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 14 May 2025
Definition of justification
Noun
  • All of the files under review involve inmates who were in CDCR’s Medical Assistant Treatment Program and were recently denied parole or petitions to move up their parole hearings to an earlier date, between April 2024 and this month.
    — Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2025
  • The Recent Court Challenges In March 2024, France filed a petition in federal court to vacate Kaplan’s 2023 decision.
    — Chris Deubert, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Definition of petition
Noun
  • President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth repeatedly point to Trump's election as a reason for the recruiting rebound.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 May 2025
  • That's not great, but Rachel Zegler is as the main reason why this musical revamp of the 1937 Disney classic works.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 May 2025
Definition of reason
Noun
  • There follows a strange pleading of innocence from the brains behind the Lockbit ransomware gang, claiming to be a worthy son of the American fatherland and not an extortionist or blackmailer, despite all the evidence to the contrary.
    — Davey Winder, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
  • His remaining legal avenues include a challenge to the constitutionality of lethal injection, pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, and a new pleading filed Monday, which challenges the quality of the legal representation death row inmates receive from the state.
    — Dan Sullivan, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 May 2025
Definition of pleading
Noun
  • The owner of a San Diego café issued a public apology after at least 98 people got sick, including nine who were hospitalized, according to local reports.
    — Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
  • Some Seneca members, however, noted that an apology means little without meaningful action.
    — Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 20 May 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 4 Jun. 2025.

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