replace

1
as in to supersede
to take the place of the old street lights were replaced by more energy-efficient models

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to return
to bring, send, or put back to a former or proper place took the fragile vase down to look at it and then gently replaced it on the shelf

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

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 replace Jerome Powell may have a little under a year left as the chairman of the Federal Reserve, but analysts—and President Donald Trump—have already narrowed their gaze on a handful of candidates to replace him. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 26 June 2025 Kennedy previously fired the entire 17-member panel of outside vaccine experts and replaced them with his own picks. Ahmed Aboulenein, USA Today, 26 June 2025 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's panel of vaccine advisers voted Thursday in their first official move after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired the committee's previous experts and replaced them with his own picks. Nicole Brown Chau, CBS News, 26 June 2025 Dreams of humans being entirely replaced by tech aren’t yet realistic. Gabriel Snyder, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for replace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for replace
Verb
  • In April, before the trial began, prosecutors filed additional charges against Combs in a superseding indictment, bringing the total number of counts against him to five.
    July 1, CBS News, 1 July 2025
  • This woman called you a bad mom to your face and thought her judgment should supersede your judgment about what YOUR child should have.
    Toria Sheffield, People.com, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • Pratt, an executive producer on the series, also returns as James Reece.
    Abigail Lee, Variety, 1 July 2025
  • Vidal-Duart did not return a phone call from the Herald/Times on Monday.
    Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • The supplementation of vitamin B12 and iron helps restore the most common deficiencies in AG.
    Sayaka Blickenderfer, Health, 28 June 2025
  • From restoring elasticity to quenching dryness and nourishing the skin with essential vitamins and minerals, the best body oils can make everything below the neck supple, satiny, and ready to shine.
    Jenny Berg, Vogue, 28 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Replace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/replace. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

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