as in begged
to make a request to (someone) in an earnest or urgent manner
I pray you: tell me where they went
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Recent Examples of prayed
At the First Baptist Church of Orlando on Sunday, Venezuelans celebrated, sang, prayed over their flag and gleefully chanted their national anthem — many through tears — for a nearly two-hour long vigil.
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Natalia Jaramillo, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026
Hundreds of others prayed for the victims at the nearby Church of Montana-Station.
—Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Versions of resolutions have existed for about 4,000 years; in Babylonia and ancient Rome, people prayed together, paid off their debts, and made promises of good conduct to their gods.
—Valerie Trapp, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
After our vows, my parents came up and prayed over us, in which my grandma then followed.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
The same group had previously claimed a suicide attack in June in which a gunman opened fire and then detonated an explosive vest inside a Greek Orthodox church in Dweil'a, on the outskirts of Damascus, killing 25 people as worshippers prayed on a Sunday.
—Arkansas Online, 27 Dec. 2025
Speakers at the event prayed and spoke of how inspirational Kirk had been to them, reflecting on his Christian values and views on free speech.
—Meredith Nierman, NPR, 23 Dec. 2025
On the first morning of the first descent, Julian Rogers burned sage and prayed.
—The Editors, Outside, 15 Dec. 2025
Organizers estimate some 2,000 people attended on Saturday, as many prayed, sang and held signs protesting ICE.
—Gaby Vinick, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prayed
Verb
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Aamir Tinwala, a middle-schooler living through pandemic isolation, begged his parents for a pet.—
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As a kid in Rochester, New York, Kane begged his parents for a dollar to play.—
Verb
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Attorney Brian Steele, who represents the rapper, had petitioned the court with the argument that the state did not hold a civil forfeiture hearing within the 60-day time limit.—
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Placer family court records show Dupree’s former fiancee in December 2021 petitioned and received a domestic violence restraining order against the former police officer.—
Cite this Entry
“Prayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prayed. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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