REPLACE Synonyms: 14 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'replace' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of replace are displace , supersede , and supplant . While all these words mean "to put out of a usual or proper place or into the place of another," replace implies a filling of a place once occupied by something lost, destroyed, or no longer usable or adequate. // replaced the broken window

Q: When is it sensible to use 'displace' instead of 'replace'?

The words displace and replace are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, displace implies an ousting or dislodging. // war had displaced thousands

Q: When would 'supersede' be a good substitute for 'replace'?

While the synonyms supersede and replace are close in meaning, supersede implies replacing a person or thing that has become superannuated, obsolete, or otherwise inferior. // the new edition supersedes all previous ones

Q: In what contexts can 'supplant' take the place of 'replace'?

The synonyms supplant and replace are sometimes interchangeable, but supplant implies either a dispossessing or usurping of another's place, possessions, or privileges or an uprooting of something and its replacement with something else. // was abruptly supplanted in her affections by another

replace

verb

ri-ˈplās

Definition of replace next

as in to supersede

to take the place of the old street lights were replaced by more energy-efficient models

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to return

to bring, send, or put back to a former or proper place took the fragile vase down to look at it and then gently replaced it on the shelf

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

take
remove

Synonym Chooser

How is the word replace distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of replace are displace, supersede, and supplant. While all these words mean "to put out of a usual or proper place or into the place of another," replace implies a filling of a place once occupied by something lost, destroyed, or no longer usable or adequate.

replaced the broken window

When is it sensible to use displace instead of replace?

The words displace and replace are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, displace implies an ousting or dislodging.

war had displaced thousands

When would supersede be a good substitute for replace?

While the synonyms supersede and replace are close in meaning, supersede implies replacing a person or thing that has become superannuated, obsolete, or otherwise inferior.

the new edition supersedes all previous ones

In what contexts can supplant take the place of replace?

The synonyms supplant and replace are sometimes interchangeable, but supplant implies either a dispossessing or usurping of another's place, possessions, or privileges or an uprooting of something and its replacement with something else.

was abruptly supplanted in her affections by another

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 replace There’s also the Travelon Anti-theft Classic Mini Shoulder Bag designed to outsmart pickpockets, plus the Taygeer Travel Backpack that can easily replace your carry-on. —

Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 29 Jan. 2026 The projects will include replacing and upgrading railroad tracks, track infrastructure like ballast and rail ties and maintaining rolling stock. —

Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 29 Jan. 2026 Venezuela replaced Russia as Cuba’s main oil supplier, a favor that Cuban President Fidel Castro returned by becoming Chávez’s mentor on authoritarianism. —

The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026 The group is lobbying for a program to replace the Royal Canadian Navy’s aging submarine fleet, which dates back to the 1990s. —

Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 29 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for replace

Recent Examples of Synonyms for replace

Verb

Campbell also claimed that an IRS lien against his assets superseded the charging orders, but the existence of an IRS lien did not negate the charging orders.

— Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The practice of fascism supersedes its ideas, which is why people affected and diminished by it are not all that interested in a marketplace of ideas in which fascists have prime purchasing power.

— Aleksandar Hemon, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026