RESCUE Synonyms: 39 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'rescue' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of rescue are deliver , ransom , reclaim , redeem , and save . While all these words mean "to set free from confinement or danger," rescue implies freeing from imminent danger by prompt or vigorous action. // rescued the crew of a sinking ship

Q: When is 'deliver' a more appropriate choice than 'rescue'?

In some situations, the words deliver and rescue are roughly equivalent. However, deliver implies release usually of a person from confinement, temptation, slavery, or suffering. // delivered his people from bondage

Q: When is it sensible to use 'ransom' instead of 'rescue'?

The synonyms ransom and rescue are sometimes interchangeable, but ransom specifically applies to buying out of captivity. // tried to ransom the kidnap victim

Q: In what contexts can 'reclaim' take the place of 'rescue'?

Although the words reclaim and rescue have much in common, reclaim suggests a bringing back to a former state or condition of someone or something abandoned or debased. // reclaimed long-abandoned farms

Q: When might 'redeem' be a better fit than 'rescue'?

The words redeem and rescue can be used in similar contexts, but redeem implies releasing from bondage or penalties by giving what is demanded or necessary. // job training designed to redeem school dropouts from chronic unemployment

Q: When can 'save' be used instead of 'rescue'?

The meanings of save and rescue largely overlap; however, save may replace any of the foregoing terms; it may further imply a preserving or maintaining for usefulness or continued existence. // an operation that saved my life

rescue 1 of 2

noun

Definition of rescue

as in salvation

the saving from danger or evil stranded people hoping for rescue from the rising floodwaters

Synonyms & Similar Words

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rescue

2 of 2

verb

ˈre-(ˌ)skyü

as in to save

to remove from danger or harm an all-out effort to rescue a beached whale

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb rescue contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of rescue are deliver, ransom, reclaim, redeem, and save. While all these words mean "to set free from confinement or danger," rescue implies freeing from imminent danger by prompt or vigorous action.

rescued the crew of a sinking ship

When is deliver a more appropriate choice than rescue?

In some situations, the words deliver and rescue are roughly equivalent. However, deliver implies release usually of a person from confinement, temptation, slavery, or suffering.

delivered his people from bondage

When is it sensible to use ransom instead of rescue?

The synonyms ransom and rescue are sometimes interchangeable, but ransom specifically applies to buying out of captivity.

tried to ransom the kidnap victim

In what contexts can reclaim take the place of rescue?

Although the words reclaim and rescue have much in common, reclaim suggests a bringing back to a former state or condition of someone or something abandoned or debased.

reclaimed long-abandoned farms

When might redeem be a better fit than rescue?

The words redeem and rescue can be used in similar contexts, but redeem implies releasing from bondage or penalties by giving what is demanded or necessary.

job training designed to redeem school dropouts from chronic unemployment

When can save be used instead of rescue?

The meanings of save and rescue largely overlap; however, save may replace any of the foregoing terms; it may further imply a preserving or maintaining for usefulness or continued existence.

an operation that saved my life

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 rescue

Noun

Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service said two people were seriously injured. — Arkansas Online, 11 Oct. 2026 For Gangdal, who helped try and rouse the team leaders into mounting a rescue, that was the wrong move. — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026

Verb

Five people in the 16-person crew had already been rescued by other merchant vessels, the ministry said. — Svitlana Vlasova, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026 In the afternoon, the Mexican military used helicopters to rescue 32 people — 22 of them foreigners — from a ranch in Ensenada. — CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rescue

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rescue

Noun

Terrible secrets resurface from the past, and Elma’s colleague, Saevar (Nikulás Hansen Daðason), could prove to be her only salvation.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2026
As the economy faltered, an orderly, healthy home could be sold as a form of salvation, with prosperity seemingly within reach.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of salvation

Verb

With clients walking out and a competitor putting the agency’s standing at risk, the siblings scramble to save both their income and what their mother built.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
The readings were transmitted to a nearby computer and saved locally.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of save

Noun

What begins as a straightforward trip to rehab quickly spirals into a journey packed with mishaps, revelations and unexpected connections, forcing both Lucy and Tim to confront the messy realities of fame, family and recovery.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
However, the higher PPI is pointing to an economy that is gradually moving away from deflationary pressures even if the recovery remains uneven, said Hao Zhou, chief economist at Guotai Junan International Holdings.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of recovery

Verb

But the attorney general said the expenditures have been worth it, salvaging billions in state funding that the administration had sought to claw back, and protecting the rights of the state and its residents.

— Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
There are a few reminders of the building’s former life, too; the basement gym’s walls are lined with thick chestnut wood salvaged from the ramps once used to move horses through the building.

— Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of salvage

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rescue

rescued

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“Rescue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rescue. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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