returns 1 of 2

Definition of returnsnext
present tense third-person singular of return
1
as in restores
to bring, send, or put back to a former or proper place when I'm done reading a book, I always return it to the very shelf I got it from

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in yields
to produce as revenue this technology stock is expected to return a healthy profit

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
4
as in reverts
to go back to a previous and usually lower state or level vowed to do anything to keep the recovering alcoholic from returning to his dissolute ways

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

returns

2 of 2

noun

plural of return

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 returns
Verb
Tom Hanks returns as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, Joan Cusack as Jessie, Tony Hale as Forky, and Annie Potts as Bo Peep. Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 23 Feb. 2026 The Daily Show, which is hosted by Jon Stewart on Mondays, also returns. Peter White, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026 Conan O’Brien voices Smarty Pants, and Tony Hale returns as Forky. Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2026 The Ramadan Food Festival returns this weekend for its second year. Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 23 Feb. 2026 Daniel Palencia returns as the closer, and most of the other bullpen pieces were signed over the offseason. Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026 The folk trio returns with producer Aaron Dessner, guest vocalists including Justin Vernon and Gracie Abrams, and newly vulnerable songwriting. Hannah Jocelyn, Pitchfork, 20 Feb. 2026 Funding model returns sales tax revenue The plan sends a portion of DART's 1 percent sales tax revenue back to member cities. Giles Hudson, CBS News, 20 Feb. 2026 In preseason this was the overriding message to a roster that returns more than 20 players from last year, notably more than recent groups. Josh Gross, Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
Noun
Released in April 2025, Sinners arrived to critical acclaim and went on to score big box office returns, which were especially impressive for a non-sequel, non-adapted original story. Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 2026 After a pair of false starts this season with Herro returns, having missed the start of the season following September ankle surgery, the approach has been pragmatic, with a longer view in mind. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026 The biggest returns from this lane, however, will come from training workers to apply the technology in the best way for their roles. Danny Werfel, Fortune, 22 Feb. 2026 Another narrative suggests software firms have overspent on AI and won’t reap sufficient returns on their investments. Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 22 Feb. 2026 The bank says investors should buy companies such as Live Nation , that are best positioned to deliver shareholder returns. Michael Bloom, CNBC, 21 Feb. 2026 All of this culminates in a stunning sequence set in a rundown hospital, where the majority of the ensemble returns, and is forced into further moral dilemmas under the threat of oblivion, in a race-against-the-clock finale shot in enrapturing long takes. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 21 Feb. 2026 The bottom line is that cheaper, lower-quality items rarely generate valuable returns. Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Feb. 2026 Look for resources IRS Direct File, the electronic system for filing tax returns for free, will not be offered this year. Adriana Morga, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for returns
Verb
  • Placing Reese alongside veteran point guard Chelsea Gray and prolific scorer in Kahleah Copper, Reese restores balance to a roster built around possession control and physical play.
    D’Joumbarey Moreau, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Calm restores your strength, so don’t feel bad about stepping away from the whirlwind.
    Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The fridge yields a bag of sturdy carrots, some garlic, a jar of mustard, and a bunch of cilantro (but a quick trip to the store could solve a lack of these ingredients).
    Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Feb. 2026
  • Although simple, this formula yields a moist, buttery pound cake, with a golden brown crust.
    Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • That's why the NYC Health Department responds to all 311 rat complaints year-round and conducts roughly 150,000 inspections annually.
    Elle McLogan, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Following the death of Benjamin, advocates and some legislators called for better protections and guidelines for how DHW responds.
    Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The final rule reverts the industry to standards first established in 2012 by the Obama administration that have reduced mercury emissions by nearly 90%.
    Michael Phillis, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
  • The decision effectively reverts regulations to those set in 2012 by the Obama administration.
    Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • New Britain Democrats posted screengrabs of his initial post as well as his responses when resident Marie Lausch condemned it.
    Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 22 Feb. 2026
  • That beginning set off ten days of actors and filmmakers being asked at press conferences for their stances on global political issues, and social media angst over those responses.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 21 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The event pays tribute to Air Force Master Sgt.
    Linda Mcintosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
  • The general public pays more for goods and services without the cheap labor of immigrants.
    DP Opinion, Denver Post, 25 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The voice that replies, however, is not that of his wife but rather an impoverished young woman who has entered the medium’s caravan to steal food.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 1 Jan. 2026
  • Back to the sofa, TV on, Tom replies.
    Big Think, Big Think, 26 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • As Garcia kept picking his spots, the 30-year-old Barrios had no real answers to counter the attack.
    ABC News, ABC News, 22 Feb. 2026
  • As the film works toward a concluding note of uplift that brings as many questions as answers, one wonders if a straighter documentary telling would be more rewarding.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Returns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/returns. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.

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