Synonyms of reply

reply 1 of 2

verb

ri-ˈplī 

1

as in to respond

to act or behave in response (as to a stimulus or influence)

replied to the news that she had won the scholarship by jumping around the room and cheering

Synonyms & Similar Words

• respond
• react
• answer
• return
• read
• understand
• interpret
• retaliate
• manage
• cope (with)
• construe
• contend (with)
• handle
• take
• negotiate
• grapple (with)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• act
• cause
• draw
• behave
• affect
• effect

2

as in to answer

to speak or write in reaction to a question or to another reaction

please reply to my question at your earliest convenience

Synonyms & Similar Words

• respond
• answer
• comment
• react
• retort
• rejoin
• return
• riposte
• come back
• explain
• remark
• acknowledge
• correspond
• communicate
• counter
• rebut
• refute
• defend
• deny
• field

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ask
• question
• inquire
• examine
• challenge
• interrogate
• pump
• survey
• query
• quiz
• cross-examine
• grill
• poll

reply

2 of 2

noun

1

as in response

action or behavior that is done in return to other action or behavior

decided the best reply to a wrongful discharge from employment was a lawsuit claiming discrimination

Synonyms & Similar Words

• response
• answer
• reaction
• take
• backlash
• reflex
• rebound
• recoil
• kickback
• revulsion
• counterresponse
• rise
• counterreaction

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• action
• effect
• behavior
• cause

2

as in answer

something spoken or written in reaction especially to a question

I look forward to your reply to my request

Synonyms & Similar Words

• response
• answer
• reaction
• return
• rejoinder
• retort
• remark
• comment
• replication
• feedback
• explanation
• comeback
• observation
• rebuttal
• communication
• acknowledgment
• back talk
• refutation
• banter
• justification
• correspondence
• plea
• repartee
• persiflage
• non sequitur
• defense

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• question
• inquiry
• query
• challenge
• charge
• survey
• interrogation
• quiz
• questionnaire
• poll
• interrogatory
• cross-examination
• grilling

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun reply differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of reply are answer, rejoinder, response, and retort. While all these words mean "something spoken, written, or done in return," reply often suggests a thorough response to all issues, points, or questions raised.

a point-by-point reply to the accusation

Where would answer be a reasonable alternative to reply?

Although the words answer and reply have much in common, answer implies the satisfying of a question, demand, call, or need.

had answers to all their questions

When can rejoinder be used instead of reply?

The meanings of rejoinder and reply largely overlap; however, rejoinder can be a response to a reply or to an objection.

a salesman with a quick rejoinder to every argument

When is response a more appropriate choice than reply?

The words response and reply can be used in similar contexts, but response may imply a quick or spontaneous reaction to a person or thing that serves as a stimulus.

a response to the call for recruits

When would retort be a good substitute for reply?

In some situations, the words retort and reply are roughly equivalent. However, retort implies a reaction to an implicit or explicit charge, criticism, or attack which contains a countercharge or counterattack.

she made a cutting retort to her critics

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of reply

Verb

The Dutchman replied by rejecting Rooney’s criticism as lazy. —Phil Hay, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025

Billboard reached out to several stations’ programming and music directors to seek comment on the song, artist and surrounding industry discussions, but none replied to our inquiries. —Trevor Anderson, Billboard, 3 Nov. 2025

Noun

Internet sleuths quickly found the quote had come from a post referencing when Tara Wolf, a trans woman (misgendered by Rowling in her reply), was accused of assaulting Maria MacLachlan who was at an anti-trans protest in 2017. —Quispe López, Them., 30 Oct. 2025

Rochelle, busy with the kids, classes and a reporter shadowing her daily life, put off a reply until a slower day. —Jayme Fraser, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025