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

Yu said, replying to a reporter asking why police had used pepper spray on commuters who were kneeling on the ground. — Austin Ramzy, BostonGlobe.com, "Hong Kong protesters squeeze access to the airport," 1 Sep. 2019 Frank Harris replied from his seat at the postgame news conference. — Greg Luca, ExpressNews.com, "Hometown beatdown: UTSA takes down Incarnate Word behind Frank Harris’ stellar debut," 31 Aug. 2019 Hurley replied with a response that might have surprised a few of the brand's diehard fans. — Marci Robin, Allure, "Elizabeth Hurley Wears a $95 La Mer Sunscreen When She Sunbathes," 25 Aug. 2019 Stein's spokesperson replied to us but didn't answer that question. — Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, "US phone carriers make empty, unenforceable promises to fight robocalls," 23 Aug. 2019 The zone replies: Lord Qaddafi in Chad Zone, who bammed in 2005, is great at romance scams. — Sean Williams, Harper's magazine, "The Black Axe," 19 Aug. 2019 Shea replied to Caughran and passed along his request to Robertson. — Chad Sokol, The Seattle Times, "Leaked emails show Washington state Rep. Matt Shea endorsed training children to fight in holy war," 15 Aug. 2019 The caveat: Most respondents to the survey, which was taken July 14 through Aug. 1, replied before the trade fight with China escalated. — Larry Edelman, BostonGlobe.com, "Are we on the verge of a recession? It’s unlikely — at least this year," 18 Aug. 2019 Along with duet videos, which let users add their own videos next to an existing clip, TikTok’s strategy of encouraging users to repurpose old videos to create new ones encouraged users to remix and reply to others, helping trends grow and evolve. — Dami Lee, The Verge, "TikTok turns one: its first 12 months, as told through TikToks," 2 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In reply to West, a New York Times reporter, Noam Schieber, posted on Twitter a snippet of dialogue from a New York court case in which an Uber lawyer made this argument before a judge. — Wired, "How Tech Firms Like Uber Hide Behind the ‘Platform Defense’," 13 Sep. 2019 But goals from Dom Dwyer and Santiago Patino in reply from Orlando gave them a slim lead going into the dying minutes. — SI.com, "MLS Week 18 Roundup: Atlanta and Red Bulls Serve Up a Classic as Zlatan Double Sinks Toronto," 9 July 2019 For many Democrats, that was a disappointing reply. — Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, "The Urgency of the 2020 Senate Race," 1 Sep. 2019 Swift’s fans dragged the manager in replies, criticizing him for being disingenuous and capitalizing on the media moment. — Nardine Saadstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "Taylor Swift bully Scooter Braun praises ‘Lover’ album amid fiery feud," 23 Aug. 2019 Police issued a final warning, and when no reply came from within the garage, police used a 10-pound sledgehammer to force open the door that was locked from the inside, according to the statement. — Mary Grace Keller, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Police force garage open with sledgehammer, find man living inside," 29 July 2019 As the days grow longer and the temperature soars higher, many take the opportunity to set up their out-of-office reply and head to the beach. — Lindsay Tigar, CNN Underscored, "These Amazon best-selling books are the ultimate beach reads," 25 July 2019 On July 18, home for summer break, the aspiring lawyer tweeted Gorsuch’s reply to him, which is dated May 21. — Ephrat Livni, Quartz, "Life advice from US Supreme Court justice Neil Gorsuch," 21 July 2019 Barr’s tweet was a reply to a tweet that accused Jarrett of helping to cover up alleged misdeeds by the Obama administration. — Kirsten Korosec, Fortune, "Roseanne Barr Apologizes for Racist Valerie Jarrett Tweet," 29 May 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.