repair 1 of 2

Definition of repairnext
as in condition
a state of being or fitness the dining table is in good repair, so you won't need to refinish it

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

repair

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb repair contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of repair are mend, patch, and rebuild. While all these words mean "to put into good order something that is injured, damaged, or defective," repair applies to the fixing of more extensive damage or dilapidation.

repaired the back steps

When is mend a more appropriate choice than repair?

In some situations, the words mend and repair are roughly equivalent. However, mend implies making whole or sound something broken, torn, or injured.

mended the torn dress

When is it sensible to use patch instead of repair?

While the synonyms patch and repair are close in meaning, patch implies an often temporary fixing of a hole or break with new material.

patch worn jeans

Where would rebuild be a reasonable alternative to repair?

The words rebuild and repair are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rebuild suggests making like new without completely replacing.

a rebuilt automobile engine

How does the verb repair contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of repair are mend, patch, and rebuild. While all these words mean "to put into good order something that is injured, damaged, or defective," repair applies to the fixing of more extensive damage or dilapidation.

repaired the back steps

When is mend a more appropriate choice than repair?

In some situations, the words mend and repair are roughly equivalent. However, mend implies making whole or sound something broken, torn, or injured.

mended the torn dress

When is it sensible to use patch instead of repair?

While the synonyms patch and repair are close in meaning, patch implies an often temporary fixing of a hole or break with new material.

patch worn jeans

Where would rebuild be a reasonable alternative to repair?

The words rebuild and repair are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rebuild suggests making like new without completely replacing.

a rebuilt automobile engine

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 repair
Noun
The hotel’s announcement on March 5 notes that the Chalet will serve as the heart of hotel operations while the main manor undergoes repair, and that access to the hotel spa, The Retreat at Castle Hill by Farmaesthetics, will be temporarily located on the Chalet’s upper level. Savana Dunning, The Providence Journal, 6 Mar. 2026 The state will also earmark $300,000 for emergency pothole repairs in the spring. Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
Kemmler owns Don's Diner, which sits under the bridge, and has been calling for the bridge to be repaired. Chris Hoffman, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026 But then the team lost Kevin Fiala for the rest of the season to a fractured leg in the Olympic tournament and saw winger Andrei Kuzmenko undergo surgery last week to repair torn meniscus in his right knee, hampering an offense that ranks 28th in the 32-team league in goals. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for repair
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repair
Noun
  • Protest organizers say the action is not only about Noma, but about the broader restaurant industry as a whole and the conditions and personalities that have come to shape it.
    Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 12 Mar. 2026
  • The results showed that women eventually diagnosed with either of these two conditions — 849 with mild cognitive impairment and 752 with dementia — had larger amounts of p-tau217 in their initial blood sample way back in the mid-to-late 1990s.
    Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • But shipping experts say the complex and costly measure wouldn’t restore normal traffic quickly.
    Amena Bakr, semafor.com, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Tee Pee Drive-In, also near Tulsa, has been lovingly restored by new owners, who added a chrome concession truck serving foot-long corn dogs and strawberry-blonde cocktails.
    Zoey Goto, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Bribes offered to players Smith and five other men were charged with approaching college players to recruit them to fix games, The News & Observer reported, citing prosecutors.
    Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 11 Mar. 2026
  • As your perceptive nature sharpens, teach through example by admitting your mistakes, then fixing them.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Some African governments are rejecting American health funding agreements over data and privacy concerns.
    Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 6 Mar. 2026
  • The Lebanese health ministry said the death toll has risen to 123 since the resurgence of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which struck Israel in the opening days of the war.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The race could revive a pandemic-era rivalry between Kiley and Pan, who tussled over vaccine and public health rules while serving in the state Legislature.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
  • The Iran conflict has muddied expectations of imminent US Federal Reserve rate cuts, with rising oil prices reviving inflation fears and forcing investors to reassess how quickly the Fed can ease policy.
    Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Recent moves — including the removal of sanctions on Malian junta officials — suggest Washington is actively rebuilding ties with these military-run nations.
    Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Israel also pressed on with near-daily strikes, primarily in southern Lebanon, saying that Hezbollah has been trying to rebuild its positions there, killing nearly 400 people while the ceasefire was in place.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The effect was as if the players were inside a cloud of ever-moving lights, shapes and colors.
    Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 12 Mar. 2026
  • In fact, topography made this impossible, and Costa had to curve one of the axes, resulting in the airplane shape that made his project famous.
    Sophia La Banca, JSTOR Daily, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Your 4th House of Family receives support as sensual Venus sextiles unearthing Pluto in your logical 2nd house, nudging you to refresh your routines and polish your living space.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2026
  • The project also refreshed pavement striping and markings on half the roads in the city.
    Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Repair.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repair. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.

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