rescue mission

noun

plural rescue missions

1

: a city religious mission (see mission entry 1 sense 4a) providing social and spiritual assistance to the poor and needy

The nonprofit, Christian-based rescue mission has provided a variety of social services to the poor and homeless over its 55-year history.

—Janet Lavelle

also : the premises of a rescue mission

I used to go quite often to Charleston, West Virginia to speak in the old rescue mission …

—Lee Roberson

2

: an undertaking to rescue someone or something from a dangerous or difficult situation

They kept him alive that way for more than twenty-four hours, waiting for a helicopter rescue mission that came too late.

—Jamie James

After a 12-hour rescue mission, navy personnel were able to tow the animal safely to land.

—Brigit Katz

Examples of rescue mission in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Back at the mine site, the rescue mission remains incomplete. —Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 31 May 2026

Meanwhile, operations for the three remaining climbers have transitioned from a search-and-rescue mission to a recovery effort, the agency said. —Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 30 May 2026

That dire prognosis laid the groundwork for Link's rescue mission, which NASA funded via a $30 million contract with Katalyst. —Mike Wall, Space.com, 28 May 2026

In Japan, Takumi Yamaguchi cofounded Japanese defense tech startup AirKamuy in 2022 to develop low-cost drones for logistics, surveillance and search-and-rescue missions. —Yue Wang, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rescue mission

• abolition
• acquisition
• admonition
• ammunition
• apparition
• apposition
• coalition
• competition
• composition
• definition
• deglutition
• demolition