Synonyms of replace

replace

verb

ri-ˈplās 

1

as in to supersede

to take the place of

the old street lights were replaced by more energy-efficient models

Synonyms & Similar Words

• supersede
• supplant
• substitute
• relieve
• displace
• displant
• usurp
• cut out
• preempt

2

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

• return
• restore
• reconvey

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

Recent Examples of replace

He’s been talking about replacing it with a permanent ballroom for a long time, in his usual Dictator Chic idiom. —Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 1 Aug. 2025

John Stamos will meet Jesus face-to-face on stage at the Hollywood Bowl this weekend, replacing the ailing Josh Gad as King Herod. —Maureen Lee Lenker Published, EW.com, 1 Aug. 2025

By the eighteenth century, this theory was replaced by a view of hair as an ornament that signaled both aesthetics and social position…In the nineteenth century, the period that McBride focusses on, hair was framed as an intrinsic biological feature that revealed fundamental truths. —Book Marks august 1, Literary Hub, 1 Aug. 2025

What will replace the rare French glass HBO (Max) shattered with a random Friday-afternoon rock? —Rachel Handler, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2025