PETITIONS Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

More than a thousand habeas petitions were filed in Minnesota courts between December and February (compared with only seventy-three habeas petitions during the previous year). — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 In addition, the parliamentarian refers to the appropriate committee legislation from the other chamber, communications from other branches of government and state and local governments, and petitions from private citizens. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026 But Timeless is the first release of unheard recordings since 2023, and fans grew restless in the interim, circulating petitions and open letters asking for more from Prince’s storied vaults. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026 Several prior petitions for post-conviction relief had been denied over the years. — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2026 ProPublica was able to determine that at least 29 of the immigrants held for ICE in Orange or Pinellas counties filed such petitions, called habeas corpus claims. — Mario Ariza, ProPublica, 27 Aug. 2026 It was assumed the two-thirds threshold also would apply to taxes placed on the ballot via initiative petitions. — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026 Organizers of Tuesday's rally said the women were released from ICE detention after a judge granted their habeas corpus petitions, meaning the government was required to justify their continued detention. — Drew Aunkst, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026 Habeas petitions are often filed as a last resort and to protect against unlawful confinement after appeals are exhausted, as happened after Maxwell’s conviction and sentencing. — Michael R. Sisak, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Verb

However, if someone petitions the court, a judge could order the HOA into a receivership. — Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2026 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

Noun

Keep photos, serial numbers, maintenance receipts and technician notes because these only strengthen claims and appeals.

— Alora Bopray, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Habeas petitions are often filed as a last resort and to protect against unlawful confinement after appeals are exhausted, as happened after Maxwell’s conviction and sentencing.

— Michael R. Sisak, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of appeals

Verb

The novel, inarguably ambitious in scope, begs questions of form and content, and the possibilities and pitfalls of publishing outside traditional pathways.

— Keziah Weir, Vanity Fair, 13 Aug. 2026
The warm waffle can be filled with matcha, strawberry soft serve or a swirl of both, then dressed up Pocky sticks for a dessert that practically begs for a photo before the first bite.

— Brittany Anas, Denver Post, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of begs

Noun

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
The Valkyries’ coaching staff’s pleas to the officiating crew for a flagrant foul call were not successful.

— Marisa Ingemi, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of pleas

Noun

Guests were encouraged to offer prayers by sprinkling tobacco, sage, white cedar, and sweetgrass on the fire.

— Gregory Harutunian, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
By early October, fears intensified after Parton’s sister, Freida Parton, took to Facebook and asked fans for their prayers.

— Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 25 Aug. 2026