redeem

1
2
as in to save
to free from captivity or punishment by paying a price the government has consistently refused to redeem hostages captured by terrorists

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in to forgive
to free from the penalties or consequences of sin the belief that sinners are redeemed by their faith in God

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
as in to rehabilitate
to make better in behavior or character the unfaithful husband made a determined effort to redeem himself in the eyes of his wife and children

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

5
as in to compensate
to make up for (an offense) quickly redeemed the offending remark with a sincere and unconditional apology

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb redeem contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of redeem are deliver, ransom, reclaim, rescue, and save. While all these words mean "to set free from confinement or danger," redeem implies releasing from bondage or penalties by giving what is demanded or necessary.

job training designed to redeem school dropouts from chronic unemployment

When is deliver a more appropriate choice than redeem?

The words deliver and redeem can be used in similar contexts, but deliver implies release usually of a person from confinement, temptation, slavery, or suffering.

delivered his people from bondage

When can ransom be used instead of redeem?

Although the words ransom and redeem have much in common, ransom specifically applies to buying out of captivity.

tried to ransom the kidnap victim

When might reclaim be a better fit than redeem?

The synonyms reclaim and redeem are sometimes interchangeable, but reclaim suggests a bringing back to a former state or condition of someone or something abandoned or debased.

reclaimed long-abandoned farms

When would rescue be a good substitute for redeem?

While in some cases nearly identical to redeem, rescue implies freeing from imminent danger by prompt or vigorous action.

rescued the crew of a sinking ship

In what contexts can save take the place of redeem?

The words save and redeem are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, save may replace any of the foregoing terms; it may further imply a preserving or maintaining for usefulness or continued existence.

an operation that saved my life

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 redeem All offers must be redeemed through the Bojangles app with a special promo code (BOBERRY 3 on Wednesday, BOBERRY 4 on Thursday, and BOBERRY 5 on Friday). Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 8 May 2025 New players can redeem this FanDuel promo code offer on Wednesday night in time for the NBA playoffs. Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025 To my surprise, Matías was more willing to let Messi try to redeem himself. Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 5 May 2025 DoorDash activation: DoorDash customers and DashPass members can redeem a special race-week takeaway—just show your app and enjoy the perks! Erica Wertheim Zohar, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for redeem
Recent Examples of Synonyms for redeem
Verb
  • The house not only supplied the actresses with clothes, jewelry, accessories and makeup, but also provided a portion of the budget to allow director Olivier Assayas to fulfill his dream of shooting the movie on 35-mm film instead of digitally.
    Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 13 May 2025
  • But the recent tariff cut has given them a chance to ramp up shipments from China and restock their warehouses and fulfill existing orders, supply chain experts say.
    Anniek Bao,Dylan Butts, CNBC, 13 May 2025
Verb
  • To say that is an insult to the years of painful work my wife has done to save herself.
    Jay Stahl, USA Today, 17 May 2025
  • America’s millionaires are now mostly on the coasts, in states with expensive real estate and high income jobs that generate more possibilities to save and invest.
    Mark Dent, HubSpot, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • Our investigation found that a large number of the private agencies deliberately kept the children in their care and out of the adoption market, making little or no effort to rehabilitate their parents.
    Stewart Ain, New York Daily News, 18 May 2025
  • State officials say this is the fourth young cub in the past five years that’s been brought in to be rehabilitated.
    Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 May 2025
Verb
  • As outlined in the court documents, Capital One did not admit wrongdoing but agreed to compensate affected customers for foregone interest and provide additional payments to those holding certain accounts.
    Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
  • And pitchers such as Banda have had to compensate as a result.
    Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • This could suggest that while attackers are targeting more victims, fewer are giving in to ransom demands.
    Sam Sabin, Axios, 7 Feb. 2025
  • While Mikhail managed to escape by climbing out a window and taking refuge in a nearby nunnery, the men took his son hostage, and Mikhail was not able to ransom him until several days later.
    Youmna Melhem Chamieh, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • To reclaim this territory, refresh your content strategy to include product FAQs, blog posts discussing certain products and features, and long-tail keyword optimization with links back to your products.
    Daniel Kamen, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
  • According to the lawsuit, obtained by Rolling Stone, the pair filed notices of termination in 2022 to reclaim the master rights, which are owned by UMG’s Next Plateau Records and London Records, signed in 1986 and 1992, respectively.
    Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2025
Verb
  • Meanwhile, private sector workers continue to bear residual financial burdens despite repaying their loans.
    Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
  • Social Security benefits can generally be reduced by up to 15% to repay student debt in default, so long as beneficiaries are left with at least $750 per month.
    Annie Nova,Ali McCadden, CNBC, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • Interviews with the soldiers and Russian opinion surveys show that such a truce would also fail to satisfy a large part of Russian society.
    Anatoly Kurmanaev, New York Times, 17 May 2025
  • Designed to satisfy North American tastes, Nutella Peanut will blend the traditional creamy recipe from 1964 with the flavor of roasted peanuts.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 16 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Redeem.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/redeem. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

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