returns 1 of 2

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

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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

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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
While the Bengals likely hope Flacco is merely a stopgap until starter Joe Burrow returns, the 40-year-old has an incentive to hope his stay under center lasts as long as possible thanks to language in his contract. Josh Buckhalter, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025 Joel returns home and sees visions When Joel comes back to his father’s home, he is immediately confronted by memories and visions that guide him toward answers. Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 22 Oct. 2025 Wednesday looks about the same before the sun returns Thursday. Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 21 Oct. 2025 In Ben Wheatley's brilliant and blistering work, a British soldier returns home and embarks on a career as a hit man, finding strange little details while on his various jobs. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025 Benson returns in style Of the Sabres’ early-season injuries, Benson’s absence might have hurt the most. Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025 When a patient comes in for Preservé, their surgeon takes measurements, including the width of the breasts and the distance from nipple to nipple, and plugs the data into a three-dimensional imaging system, which returns a specific range of implants that will fit the person’s chest. Jolene Edgar, Allure, 15 Oct. 2025 Grinchmas returns as Universal Plaza is transformed into Who-ville, the center of which is a 65-foot Grinchmas tree. Tom Tapp, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025 Ravenswood returns as the Phantom of the manor and kills the groom-to-be. Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
His directorial debut The Man Without A Face and 2025 action film Flight Risk saw smaller returns but both still took double their budgets in theatrical receipts alone. Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2025 When tailored to a hospital’s resources and executed well, these investments deliver exponential returns. Prof. Dr. Med. Mazda Farshad, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025 With a cease-fire, the thinking returns, and with it, pain. Ghada Abdulfattah, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2025 But fans won't have to wait until Interview With the Vampire (which is rebranding as The Vampire Lestat for season 3) returns in 2026 to hear his hits. Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Oct. 2025 Indeed, the stock has been under pressure for many years, posting losing returns over each of the last five years. Sarah Min, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025 The coalition says a buyer would be focused on maximizing profit, namely by seeking out higher returns, more investment and cost-cutting. Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 14 Oct. 2025 In one June 2019 Brooklyn case, prosecutors accused a couple of submitting fake pay stubs, tax returns, and bank statements to secure multiple loans. Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2025 Until Kleven returns, however, there’s a question to be asked about who takes his place. Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for returns
Verb
  • After Marie restores his powers, Polarity becomes a major key in how the gang is able to stop Godolkin.
    Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Whether or not Congress restores broader flexibilities, the operational case for resilient virtual care remains clear.
    Scott R. Schell, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • One recipe yields about 3 1/2 cups, which is enough to frost the tops and sides of two 8- to 9-inch cake layers.
    Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025
  • That contrast, between how meticulously Reichardt builds her story and the way her protagonist pinballs through his, yields a remarkably precise exploration of hubris as a self-destructive force.
    Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The department typically responds to zoos only in cases of disease outbreaks or import violations, according to Mueller.
    Quinn Clark, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Glandular tissue — the part made of milk ducts and supportive structures — responds to hormones.
    Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The deduction and the phase-out levels will increase by 1% a year until 2029, when the cap reverts back to the original $10,000.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Charles Winstead of the San Francisco Bay Area has seen several climbing accidents while climbing El Capitan over the past few weeks and attests to the quick responses from park personnel.
    Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Many students reported conflicting responses from the security staff in the time between the game and the concert.
    Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The collection also pays tribute to the Belgian designer’s work for Y/Project, with various pieces in the collection—from boots through to prints—nodding to key archival designs.
    Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 24 Oct. 2025
  • The general fund also pays for parks, trash pickup, public works, code enforcement, and the county’s administrators and management staff, according to budget documents.
    Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Attorney General Weiser replies that medical science evolves over time.
    Nina Totenberg, NPR, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The man replies with further details to justify the figure.
    Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Eager for answers, Mae messaged Charlie’s owner but got no response.
    Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
  • All of that has left the Heat seeking answers in the immediate aftermath of Rozier’s Thursday arrest stemming from his alleged involvement in a sports betting scheme.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Returns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/returns. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

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