return 1 of 2

verb

ri-ˈtərn How to pronounce return (audio)
Definition of returnnext
1
as in to restore
to bring, send, or put back to a former or proper place when I'm done reading a book, I always return it to the very shelf I got it from

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Relevance

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2
as in to yield
to produce as revenue this technology stock is expected to return a healthy profit

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3
as in to respond
to speak or write in reaction to a question or to another reaction when I asked him to sit down to dinner, he returned that he would come when he was good and ready

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to revert
to go back to a previous and usually lower state or level vowed to do anything to keep the recovering alcoholic from returning to his dissolute ways

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

return

2 of 2

noun

1
as in response
something spoken or written in reaction especially to a question I was moved by my grandfather's lengthy return to my casual question about his experiences in the Vietnam War

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2
as in revenue
an increase usually measured in money that comes from labor, business, or property if we buy better equipment, we'll be able to make the product faster, thus getting a better return on our investment

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in proceeds
the amount of money left when expenses are subtracted from the total amount received the return on each unit sold has increased since we streamlined the production process

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb return contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of return are reciprocate, requite, and retaliate. While all these words mean "to give back usually in kind or in quantity," return implies a paying or giving back.

returned their call
return good for evil

In what contexts can reciprocate take the place of return?

Although the words reciprocate and return have much in common, reciprocate implies a mutual or equivalent exchange or a paying back of what one has received.

reciprocated their hospitality by inviting them for a visit

When is requite a more appropriate choice than return?

In some situations, the words requite and return are roughly equivalent. However, requite implies a paying back according to one's preference and often not equivalently.

requited her love with cold indifference

When is it sensible to use retaliate instead of return?

The synonyms retaliate and return are sometimes interchangeable, but retaliate usually implies a paying back of injury in exact kind, often vengefully.

the enemy retaliated by executing their prisoners

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 return
Verb
Plus, an ambiguous Supreme Court ruling may have invited the Trump administration to refuse to try to return him. —Taylor Wilson, USA Today, 21 Apr. 2025 There was no bigger stage for Lynch to return than at WrestleMania 41 in Allegiant Stadium. —Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
Yet even being on the plus side was not by much, as for every tax dollar remitted to feds from New Yorkers in fiscal year 2023, New York got back $1.06 in return, but the national average was $1.32. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2025 The commodity was found to be defective, perhaps falsely advertised, but not eligible for return. —Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for return
Recent Examples of Synonyms for return
  1. restore
  2. yield
  3. respond
  4. revert
  5. response
  6. revenue
  7. pay
  8. reply
Verb
  • Disruptions peaked shortly after 3 p.m. ET, and service appeared to be mostly restored roughly two hours later, according to outage tracking site Downdetector.com.
    — Matthew Kaufman, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2025
  • Femininity and French craftsmanship are on prominent display, with bespoke headboards made from Pierre Frey fabrics in every room, as well as murals from Atelier de Ricou, bird-like Lalique sconces, and restored wooden beams on the ceilings.
    — Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2025
Definition of restore
Verb
  • That yielded a partial match, and investigators completed a family tree and identified their suspect, police said.
    — Sara Schilling, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2025
  • There is a problem in our understanding of universal expansion; different methods for measuring the rate of expansion yield different results.
    — Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
Definition of yield
Verb
  • Humans, on the other hand, are quick to respond to Tyrion.
    — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
  • The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on the New York Times report.
    — Erin Doherty, CNBC, 19 Apr. 2025
Definition of respond
Verb
  • Adams started Bad Records a number of years ago as a home for his catalog, much of which has reverted back to him from Universal (which bought PolyGram, which had purchased his original label home, A&M).
    — Melinda Newman, Billboard, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Upon a Time in Hollywood would revert from the studio to Tarantino 30 years after its theatrical release.
    — Chris Lee, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of revert
Noun
  • In response to questions from Jackson, Nuttall agreed that injuries to O'Keefe's face could have been caused by a punch to the face.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
  • The Supreme Court on Saturday temporarily blocked the deportation of Venezuelans held in Texas under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 in response to an emergency appeal form the American Civil Liberties Union.
    — Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025
Definition of response
Noun
  • Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services.
    — William Jones, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Many apparel operations, including companies like NYC sock maker Bombas which was backed by Daymond John in 2014 and has had lifetime revenues in excess of $1 billion, contend producing in the U.S. was either logistically impossible or would make their products too expensive to sell.
    — Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
Definition of revenue
Verb
  • Werner heard that one of her scholarships—which had been administered by the center—was being eliminated, sending her into a panic about how to pay for school.
    — Emma Green, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Federal investigators ultimately found that its officers use excessive force, discriminate against Black people, conduct stops and searches without probable cause, and arrest people purely for not having the money to pay fines.
    — Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of pay
Verb
  • Engage in conversations by replying to comments, livestreaming, answering audience queries in messages, creating broadcast channels and participating in relevant discussions.
    — Karan Sharma, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Even after Maryland replied with four consecutive tallies to assume a 4-2 lead, Rutgers answered with three straight goals, and the Terps had to outscore the Scarlet Knights, 3-1, to take a 7-6 lead into halftime.
    — Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 23 Apr. 2025
Definition of reply

Phrases Containing return

Browse Nearby Words

retrospects
return
returned
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Cite this Entry

“Return.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/return. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

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