How is the word replace distinct from other similar verbs?
Some common synonyms of replace are displace, supersede, and supplant. While all these words mean "to put out of a usual or proper place or into the place of another," replace implies a filling of a place once occupied by something lost, destroyed, or no longer usable or adequate.
replaced the broken window
When is it sensible to use displace instead of replace?
The words displace and replace are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, displace implies an ousting or dislodging.
war had displaced thousands
When would supersede be a good substitute for replace?
While the synonyms supersede and replace are close in meaning, supersede implies replacing a person or thing that has become superannuated, obsolete, or otherwise inferior.
the new edition supersedes all previous ones
In what contexts can supplant take the place of replace?
The synonyms supplant and replace are sometimes interchangeable, but supplant implies either a dispossessing or usurping of another's place, possessions, or privileges or an uprooting of something and its replacement with something else.
was abruptly supplanted in her affections by another
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 replaceAnd largely that is replaced with people on devices or on video games.—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025 Already, Santa Ana leaders have greenlit the 42-acre Related Bristol project to replace the neighboring two shopping centers at Bristol and Sunflower.—Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025 As social media continues to replace traditional gatekeepers, both companies and users share responsibility for what circulates online.—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Sep. 2025 Boox have taken the form factor of a smartphone and replaced the high-resolution and power-hungry color displays with an eInk Carta 1200 display.—Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for replace
The content drew attention to the country’s inequality by contrasting the lives of the children of the country’s elite – with designer clothing and foreign vacations – with images of Nepali migrant workers returning home in coffins from dangerous jobs abroad.
—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
With 15 games remaining, Smith may not have enough time to rehab the injury and return for the end of the regular season.
The museum’s plans for Excelsior Club included restoring the existing two-story structure and adding a connecting history center focused on local and regional Black history.
—
Catherine Muccigrosso,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
On Tuesday night, the Nepali army deployed troops to restore order after prominent government buildings were set on fire, politicians were attacked and violent clashes erupted between protesters and government forces.
Share