restore

verb

re·​store ri-ˈstȯr 

restored; restoring

transitive verb

1

: give back, return

2

: to put or bring back into existence or use

3

: to bring back to or put back into a former or original state : renew

4

: to put again in possession of something

restorer noun

Synonyms

• freshen
• recharge
• recreate
• refresh
• refreshen
• regenerate
• rejuvenate
• renew
• repair
• resuscitate
• revitalize
• revive
• revivify

Choose the Right Synonym for restore

renew, restore, refresh, renovate, rejuvenate mean to make like new.

renew implies a restoration of what had become faded or disintegrated so that it seems like new.

efforts to renew the splendor of the old castle

restore implies a return to an original state after depletion or loss.

restored a fine piece of furniture

refresh implies the supplying of something necessary to restore lost strength, animation, or power.

a refreshing drink

renovate suggests a renewing by cleansing, repairing, or rebuilding.

the apartment has been entirely renovated

rejuvenate suggests the restoration of youthful vigor, powers, or appearance.

the change in jobs rejuvenated her spirits

Examples of restore in a Sentence

The police restored law and order.

The government needs to restore confidence in the economy.

an antique car that is being carefully restored

Recent Examples on the Web

This week, two days after WIRED asked Meta about Holifield’s situation, her ad manager access was restored. —Paresh Dave, WIRED, 19 Apr. 2024

The program includes a mix of Japanese and U.S. films, many of them recently restored. —Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024

Most lines were down for one to two hours, although services appeared to be gradually restored overnight. —Adela Suliman, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024

Rapid City Police offered locals alternative phone numbers to call for first responders, and service was restored about two hours later. —Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 18 Apr. 2024

More on the Baltimore Bridge Collapse Scrambling to Reopen: A shipping channel in Baltimore will be partially reopened by the end of April, with full traffic expected to be restored by late May, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said. —Peter Eavis, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024

Emergency 911 phone service has been restored in some of the areas hit by outages on Wednesday night. —Riley Hoffman, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2024

On April 8, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was sued by several wildlife organizations to restore protections for wolves in the Northern Rockies. —Wendy Keefover, The Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2024

On March 15, 1939, German tanks rolled into Prague, putting an end to Czechoslovak independence, and confirming that Hitler’s ambitions went far beyond restoring Germans to the Third Reich. —TIME, 16 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French restorer, from Latin restaurare to renew, rebuild, alteration of instaurare to renew

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

restore

verb

re·​store ri-ˈstō(ə)r 

-ˈstȯ(ə)r

restored; restoring

1

: return entry 1 sense 5

restored the purse to its owner

2

: to put or bring back into existence or use

restore harmony after an argument

3

: to bring back to or put back into an earlier or original state

restore an old house

4

: to put again in possession of something

restore the king to the throne

restorable

-ˈstōr-ə-bəl

-ˈstȯr-

adjective

restorer noun

Medical Definition

restore

transitive verb

re·​store ri-ˈstō(ə)r, -ˈstȯ(ə)r 

restored; restoring

: to bring back to or put back into a former or original state

a tooth restored with an inlay