How to Use plead in a Sentence

plead

verb
  • She couldn't afford a lawyer to plead her case.
  • He begged and pleaded, but she would not change her mind.
  • He agreed to plead to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
  • Jones is the first to plead guilty.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 Apr. 2026
  • All six have pleaded not guilty.
    — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Maduro and his wife pleaded not guilty.
    — Vivian Kwarm, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Both men have pleaded not guilty.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Spicer pleaded not guilty to the charge.
    — Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Michaud pleaded not guilty to the charges.
    — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
  • All six have pleaded not guilty.
    — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Wolfe pleaded not guilty to all charges.
    — Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
  • All eight have pleaded not guilty.
    — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 10 June 2026
  • Gray has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
    — Cbs News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 10 June 2026
  • Leakes pleaded guilty to all four counts.
    — Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
  • Sanchez has pleaded not guilty.
    — Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Sanchez has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
    — Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Sanchez has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
    — Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Routh has pleaded not guilty to all five counts.
    — Greg Allen, NPR, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Both have pleaded not guilty to charges in that case.
    — Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
  • Both teens have pleaded not guilty to their charges.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Both have pleaded not guilty to charges of felony child abuse.
    — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2026
  • Carothers says one way to plead this case is to show proof of concept.
    — Yaffa Fredrick, CNN, 8 Nov. 2021
  • Jose shrugs, pleads with her to not lick anyone at the inn, and leaves.
    — Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2025
  • Kwok Yin-sang pleaded not guilty.
    — Shibani Mahtani, NPR, 26 Feb. 2026
  • Trump was charged with four counts in that probe and pleaded not guilty last week.
    — Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2023
  • Mwangi has pleaded not guilty and is out on bail.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 16 Apr. 2026
  • Wolf has pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Most of them are pled out way earlier.
    — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025
  • Those who pleaded guilty face up to 15 years in prison.
    — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 June 2026
  • The suspect has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plead.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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