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

The search area established around debris and an unoccupied lifeboat discovered during the initial rescue mission, spans about 20 square kilometers, according to NOAA. —Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026

The Coast Guard initially launched a search and rescue mission after receiving an alert from the vessel about 25 miles (40 kilometers) off Cape Ann. —ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026

Early in her tenure, Noem made decisions that rankled Coast Guard officials, including shifting resources away from a search-and-rescue mission to find a missing service member and putting them toward deporting migrants, the sources told NBC News. —NBC news, 17 Feb. 2026

Outside editors recall the search and rescue missions unlike any others. —Emilee Coblentz, Outside, 11 Feb. 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