1
as in restoring
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in yielding
to produce as revenue
this technology stock is expected to return a healthy profit
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in responding
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in reverting
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of returning
Worn 30 to 45 minutes a day for 20 days, Crest 3D Whitestrips Professional Effects can remove a decade’s worth of iced coffees, Diet Cokes, and chiantis, returning your mouth to mint condition and keeping it that way for months and months.
—
Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
The new version still sees the ball kicked from the kicking team’s 35-yard line, but every player on the kicking team other than the kicker themself now lines up with at least one foot on the returning team’s 40-yard line.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2025
In a parallel universe, Fulham supporters were left furiously shaking their cardboard clappers at two returning players on Saturday.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Bowen Yang, Michael Che, Colin Jost and Chloe Fineman are all returning, as are Sarah Sherman, Mikey Day, Marcello Hernández, James Austin Johnson, Andrew Dismukes, Ashley Padilla and Jane Wickline.
—Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
Virtually certain to depart is 41-year-old starter Max Scherzer, who has pitched well since returning from thumb and back problems.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
After returning from military service in 1948, he was put in charge of a small leather craft division.
—Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Sep. 2025
Brown spent more than five years in prison for robbery with a deadly weapon before returning home to his mother.
—Amanda Castro
hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Sensmeier isn't the only returning cast member from Wind River, as Birmingham is also set to reprise his role as Chip and Natalie's father, Martin Hanson.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
The new version still sees the ball kicked from the kicking team’s 35-yard line, but every player on the kicking team other than the kicker themself now lines up with at least one foot on the returning team’s 40-yard line.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2025
In a parallel universe, Fulham supporters were left furiously shaking their cardboard clappers at two returning players on Saturday.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Bowen Yang, Michael Che, Colin Jost and Chloe Fineman are all returning, as are Sarah Sherman, Mikey Day, Marcello Hernández, James Austin Johnson, Andrew Dismukes, Ashley Padilla and Jane Wickline.
—Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
Virtually certain to depart is 41-year-old starter Max Scherzer, who has pitched well since returning from thumb and back problems.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
After returning from military service in 1948, he was put in charge of a small leather craft division.
—Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Sep. 2025
Brown spent more than five years in prison for robbery with a deadly weapon before returning home to his mother.
—Amanda Castro
hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Sensmeier isn't the only returning cast member from Wind River, as Birmingham is also set to reprise his role as Chip and Natalie's father, Martin Hanson.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for returning
Verb
-
Over the past three years, the city has begun to address long-overdue repairs, reopening pools, restoring lighting, and fixing building roofs, efforts that were largely neglected during Hernandez’s administration.—
Veronica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
And that freedom is yielding ripple effects.—
Afdhel Aziz,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Prairie Village’s rules mirror Leawood’s, with similar outlines to age requirements for class 3 e-bikes in particular, yielding and giving audible signals to pedestrians, following manufacturer recommendations and not allowing distracted or reckless operation of the device.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
So, pause before responding and try to remain neutral during their outbursts.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Trump is never shy of responding to criticism that is damaging to him from any source.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
One dares to hope that Hollywood, for all its current ills, may finally be turning a corner, reverting back to when new ideas were held at a premium.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Other changes include renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and reverting Alaska's Denali mountain to Mount McKinley.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The average vehicle sells for nearly $50,000 and almost 20% of new car buyers are paying $1,000 or more a month, the report said.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Richard Linklater’s French-language black-and-white film Nouvelle Vague, paying tribute to the French New Wave movement, initially looked like one of the strongest candidates for the honor.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
With an uneasy feeling about the situation, the man decided to stop replying.—
Nicki Cox,
People.com,
31 Aug. 2025
-
With each successive exchange, the replying chorus added another member, until the air was filled with a continuous melody of bugles, grunts, cow/calf calls, whistles and chuckles.—
Jim Tschetter,
Outdoor Life,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The club fees paid by growers go to marketing investments used for websites, TikToks, and ads, giving it wider appeal.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
12 Sep. 2025
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As the overall matter heads towards its March 9, 2026 trial date start, Judge Liman will have the final word – for now – on bringing Swift on board and giving Baldoni and his Wayfarer co-founders more time for their own depositions.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Kirk was answering an audience question about mass shootings when the bullet struck his neck, causing students and visitors to flee in panic.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Kirk was in the middle of answering an audience member's question, which was about mass shootings, when a gunman shot him once in the neck, sending thousands of people running and screaming for safety.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Returning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/returning. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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