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
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Recent Examples of replaceAnd both runners scored when closer Tanner Scott replaced Henriquez with two outs and gave up a double to Mets pinch-hitter Tyrone Taylor.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
26 July 2026 For everyone else, the race to replace him has already begun.—
Greg Engle,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2026 The oak hardwood floors have been refurbished, the home has been freshly painted and the gable roof has been replaced.—
Karen A. Avitabile,
Hartford Courant,
26 July 2026 Max Schuemann ultimately replaced Bellinger in left field on Saturday.—
Chris Kirschner,
New York Times,
26 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for replace
Artificial Intelligence will require more memory than the iPhone 17 offers, and it will be rapidly superseded, likely by April, with the iPhone 18 launch.
—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2026
The airline’s internal policies do not supersede federal regulations.
One couple has returned year after year, exploring into areas that tourists rarely see.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 July 2026
Ideally, Macario can return and provide a lift as Dudinha did late season, scoring seven goals in 10 games after general manager Camille Ashton signed her in the summer.
—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 July 2026
The North Carolina Department of Transportation Secretary Daniel Johnson said in a letter Tuesday that up to $300 million in community investments could be unlocked if the controversial project is restored.
—
DJ Simmons,
Charlotte Observer,
30 July 2026
More than 50 historical buildings are being restored to create retail and residential spaces in one of Atlanta’s most ambitious downtown projects.