reply

verb

re·ply | \ ri-ˈplī

replied; replying

Definition of reply

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : to respond in words or writing

b : echo, resound

c : to make a legal replication

2 : to do something in response specifically : to return gunfire or an attack

transitive verb

: to give as an answer

noun

plural replies

Definition of reply (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : something said, written, or done in answer or response

2 : replication sense 1b(2)

Other Words from reply Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about reply

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Synonyms for reply

Synonyms: Verb

react, respond

Synonyms: Noun

answer, reaction, response, take

Choose the Right Synonym for reply

Noun

answer, response, reply, rejoinder, retort mean something spoken, written, or done in return. answer implies the satisfying of a question, demand, call, or need. had answers to all their questions response may imply a quick or spontaneous reaction to a person or thing that serves as a stimulus. a response to the call for recruits reply often suggests a thorough response to all issues, points, or questions raised. a point-by-point reply to the accusation rejoinder can be a response to a reply or to an objection. a salesman with a quick rejoinder to every argument retort implies a reaction to an implicit or explicit charge, criticism, or attack which contains a countercharge or counterattack. she made a cutting retort to her critics

Examples of reply in a Sentence

Verb

I called out to them, but no one replied. He didn't reply to her greeting. The company has replied to the recent protests by posting an ad in the local newspaper. She replied to the accusation with a stack of documents proving her innocence. He replied politely that he felt a little better.

Noun

A timely reply will be appreciated. The invitations have been sent, but we haven't received any replies yet. I asked her what was wrong. In reply, she handed me a letter. He wrote a brief note in reply to her letter.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Nancy Pelosi’s daughter Alexandra replied, when she was asked on Wednesday how the new speaker of the house will deal with President Trump. — Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, "The Week in Washington: A Shutdown with No End in Sight," 6 Jan. 2019 In the future, the Charge 3 will also be able to accept and reject calls and send canned text replies for those who pair it with an Android smartphone. — Valentina Palladino, Ars Technica, "Fitbit returns to its roots with new $150 Charge 3 fitness tracker," 20 Aug. 2018 When asked for clarification, a U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesman did not immediately reply Thursday afternoon. — Max Londberg, kansascity, "Missouri man pleads guilty to running prostitution business, feds say," 12 July 2018 Many of Schuman’s replies were positive, grateful for a reasonable and actionable daily goal. — Katie Heaney, The Cut, "Just Write 500 Words," 11 June 2018 Ariana confirmed that she's gotten engaged to Davidson at the start of June, by replying to her fans on Twitter who'd been congratulating her about the relationship rumors. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson Have Ended Their Engagement and I'm Already Crying," 14 Oct. 2018 After reporting the incidents to HR and receiving what the lawsuit alleges was an inadequate response, Anaya contacted co-founder McKelvey directly about the January incident, the suit claims, but McKelvey never replied. — Shirin Ghaffary, Recode, "A former WeWork employee is suing the company over alleged sexual assaults fueled by ‘frat-boy culture’," 12 Oct. 2018 Kim was the first to comment about it, replying back to Younes' response after the photos of him leaked. — Tamara Fuentes, Seventeen, "Kim and Khloe Kardashian Slam Younes Bendjima After Kourtney Kardashian Split," 8 Aug. 2018 Horrific’ Airport Body Search The post quickly picked up attention on social media, and hundreds of fans replied to Francis to express condolences and criticize the TSA. — Jason Duaine Hahn, PEOPLE.com, "New York Giants Player Accuses TSA of Spilling His Mom’s Ashes During Luggage Search," 10 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Oriol Junqueras, one of the accused, wrote from jail in reply to questions sent by The Associated Press. — Aritz Parra, The Seattle Times, "Spain’s courts put to test by trial of Catalan separatists," 11 Feb. 2019 So people did — to the tune of 330 reply tweets, not all of them serious. — Darcy Costello, The Courier-Journal, "Ask your questions, Gov. Matt Bevin tweeted. So people did.," 23 June 2018 Williams’ tweet garnered 3,000 replies by Monday morning, and the vast majority were positive and encouraging. — Heidi Stevens, chicagotribune.com, "'She took her first steps': A Serena Williams miss working parents can relate to," 9 July 2018 But millions of Americans were perfectly happy to provide their own reply: life begins at conception. — Jonathan Zimmerman, The New Republic, "Overturning Roe v. Wade Could Remake American Politics," 5 July 2018 The Bronx natives met during summer school but reconnected years later on Twitter, where their pithy, street-smart jokes earned them retweets, replies and followers galore. — Time Staff, Time, "The 25 Most Influential People on the Internet," 28 June 2018 Hundreds—nay, thousands—of people came to their defense with pithy tweet replies and quotes with zingers. — Keah Brown, Harper's BAZAAR, "Are You Trolling People on Twitter Without Realizing It?," 15 June 2018 Again, there was no reply, and a cold dread began to curl in Lauryn’s stomach. — Wesley Snipes, The Root, "Talon of God," 27 May 2018 But there was time for a reply, and after his side regathered the restart, Alasio Sovita Naduva found his way over to steal it at the death. — George Ramsay, CNN, "Singapore Sevens: Last-gasp heroics see Fiji lead championship for first time," 29 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'reply.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.