petitions 1 of 2

noun

plural of petition
as in appeals
an earnest request a flurry of petitions from eating and drinking establishments to be exempt from the new antismoking regulations

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petitions

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of petition
as in begs
to make a request to (someone) in an earnest or urgent manner petitioned the judge to be excused from jury duty for financial hardship

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 petitions
Noun
Congress for a time had stopped hearing anti-slavery petitions as too divisive. — Chris Kenning, USA Today, 2 July 2026 Currently, initiative petitions require a statewide majority (50% of the vote plus one) in order to pass. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 30 June 2026 The Utah Supreme Court has not yet ruled on two additional defense petitions challenging Graf's pretrial orders. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026 Those petitions ballooned after the administration began limiting the ability of many immigrants to seek release through bond hearings in immigration court. — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026 The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a pair of emergency petitions filed by activist groups to stop the implementation of a Texas law requiring app stores to verify users’ ages. — Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 6 July 2026 Justice Samuel Alito, in a pair of one-sentence orders, denied petitions by plaintiffs who claim that the Texas App Store Accountability Act violates users' constitutional rights to free speech. — ABC News, 6 July 2026 In the first quarter of the 2026 fiscal year, 167,401 immediate family relative petitions were approved, and 8,612 fiancé petitions were approved. — Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 6 July 2026 That changed on September 21, 2025, when a presidential proclamation introduced a $100,000 fee tied to certain new H-1B petitions. — Lorraine D'alessio, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Verb
The film hands off its plot like a baton, passing from this dissatisfied shopper to a factory owner to her dead daughter-in-law (another ghost) who petitions the government for her civil rights despite being in the body of an appliance. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petitions
  1. appeals
  2. begs
  3. pleas
  4. prays
  5. prayers
Noun
  • The court may also issue decisions about emergency appeals over the next three months.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • However, users can still place wagers on prediction markets as the case moves through the appeals process.
    — Nathan Goldman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of appeals
Verb
  • Which begs a larger question, really.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 25 June 2026
  • The family begs for a twilight cruise, but the battery is already tapped out.
    — Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 24 June 2026
Definition of begs
Noun
  • If the judge finds there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial, Robinson will be arraigned and enter pleas.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • Leo’s Saturday pleas to European and American leaders are not unprecedented.
    — Connor Greene, Time, 4 July 2026
Definition of pleas
Verb
  • Once a year, Akagawa takes the letters to a nearby Buddhist temple, where a monk prays over them.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 June 2026
  • Meanwhile, back home, his community waits for news – and prays for his safety.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
Definition of prays
Noun
  • Thoughts and prayers get downgraded to mere words with no action.
    — Lauren Green, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
  • Caning is also allowed to punish people gambling and drinking, and for women who wear tight clothes or men who skip Friday prayers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
Definition of prayers

Browse Nearby Words

petitioning (for)
petitions
petitions (for)
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Cite this Entry

“Petitions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petitions. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on petitions

Nglish: Translation of petitions for Spanish Speakers

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