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
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Recent Examples of replaceNewcastle’s home had been the scene of raucous celebration that Thursday evening, a reaction to the news the penny-pinching Mike Ashley era was over and, more notably, that he had been replaced by the richest sovereign wealth fund on Earth.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
2 Aug. 2026 To replace Irvin and Klein, the Dodgers recalled right-handed relievers Kyle Hurt and Wyatt Mills.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Aug. 2026 Cracker Barrel recently underwent significant changes, including selling 26 properties, divesting Maple Street Biscuit Company, and replacing CEO Julie Masino with David Deno.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
2 Aug. 2026 One daughter is interested in lab science, or the kind of high-value job that requires human judgement and is unlikely to be replaced by AI.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
2 Aug. 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Artificial Intelligence will require more memory than the iPhone 17 offers, and it will be rapidly superseded, likely by April, with the iPhone 18 launch.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.
Hot spots still burned within a 420-square-kilometer (162-square-mile) scar, thousands remained unable to return home, and nearly 3,000 firefighters were deployed against the Gironde megafire and a second blaze in Provence.
—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Aug. 2026
However, price spikes returned in July after Washington responded to Iranian attacks on shipping in the key maritime artery of the Strait of Hormuz.
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.