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3
as in to revive
to bring back to life, practice, or activity the spate of recent movies based on classic comic book characters has renewed interest in the comics themselves

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
as in to repeat
to make or do again I can only renew my offer to help—it's up to them to accept it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb renew differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of renew are refresh, rejuvenate, renovate, and restore. While all these words mean "to make like new," renew implies a restoration of what had become faded or disintegrated so that it seems like new.

efforts to renew the splendor of the old castle

When might refresh be a better fit than renew?

The words refresh and renew can be used in similar contexts, but refresh implies the supplying of something necessary to restore lost strength, animation, or power.

a refreshing drink

When is it sensible to use rejuvenate instead of renew?

In some situations, the words rejuvenate and renew are roughly equivalent. However, rejuvenate suggests the restoration of youthful vigor, powers, or appearance.

the change in jobs rejuvenated her spirits

When can renovate be used instead of renew?

The words renovate and renew are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, renovate suggests a renewing by cleansing, repairing, or rebuilding.

the apartment has been entirely renovated

When is restore a more appropriate choice than renew?

While the synonyms restore and renew are close in meaning, restore implies a return to an original state after depletion or loss.

restored a fine piece of furniture

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 renew Every voter who traveled through withering heat to the polls, that is faith renewed. Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025 Leftover sludge falls to the bottom of the ponds, which are then cleaned out and refilled to renew the process. Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 June 2025 She was informed on Jan. 31 that her contract would not be renewed. Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2025 These days, getting a series renewed at Netflix is far from a safe bet. Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for renew
Recent Examples of Synonyms for renew
Verb
  • The bill is aimed at addressing America's spiraling federal deficit and restoring faith in the government's ability to meet its obligations, especially in areas like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 June 2025
  • The supplementation of vitamin B12 and iron helps restore the most common deficiencies in AG.
    Sayaka Blickenderfer, Health, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • As the co-chairman continues to push the need to channel that inner 10-year-old, the episode switches to home movie footage of the players as kids, interspersed with match action from the game against Charlton.
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 27 June 2025
  • Our hope is that New Yorkers will continue to keep this dynamic city the capital of capitalism.
    Time, Time, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • Lake has revived claims that the agency has operated with such poor security that its networks are rife for espionage by foreign powers, assertions made by Trump's appointee to lead it in 2020, toward the end of his first term.
    David Folkenflik, NPR, 20 June 2025
  • Paul George, Roy Hibbert and David West revived the team in the 2010s, only to twice run into LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat.
    Zak Keefer, New York Times, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • This repeating cycle of remorse, hope and abuse can become a barrier that prevents a person from leaving the relationship, according to Bearat.
    Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 1 July 2025
  • Seagate's stock has experienced such severe declines previously, and based on its current valuation, history might repeat itself.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • Even one or two minutes of the right music can refresh your brain and break the mental fatigue.
    Bronwen Sciortino, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • These Spanx deals won’t last long, so now’s the time to refresh your summer wardrobe with flattering, lightweight staples.
    Taylor Jean Stephan, People.com, 22 June 2025
Verb
  • Normal service resumed on Oct. 30 2023 with the M3 Pro and M3 Max models, with Oct 30. 2024 seeing the M4 Pro and M4 Max models (alongside the vanilla M4 model).
    Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
  • Melvin hopes that Devers will be playable at first base soon and that Flores will resume something resembling an everyday DH role.
    Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • That turned out to be something of a troll, however, as the show resurrected him two episodes later.
    Randall Colburn, EW.com, 25 June 2025
  • But as Europeans concentrated on building a calmer future, others were resurrecting a more tumultuous past.
    Gideon Rose, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • By embedding brand activations into the live environment, marketing partners aligned with the PGA Tour’s values while engaging fans in authentic, memorable ways that digital experiences can’t replicate.
    Julio Cesar Gomez, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
  • For Bailey, that includes connection, empathy, and presence, qualities that no algorithm can replicate.
    William Jones, USA Today, 26 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Renew.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/renew. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

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