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

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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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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
Out of the South Shore League, East Bridgewater returns all of its starters from its run to the Round of 16 last year. Brian Roach, Boston Herald, 6 Apr. 2026 Frankie Muniz returns as Malcolm. Arushi Jacob, Variety, 5 Apr. 2026 Austin will host the LA Galaxy on April 11, while Inter Miami returns home to face the New York Red Bulls the same day. CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026 The narration returns obsessively to the moments of violence between the parents, which horrify the boy. Tim Parks, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026 In this simian spin on the slasher movie, college kid Lucy (Johnny Sequoyah) returns home to Hawaii for a visit with family and Ben, a super-smart chimp and her late mom's research project. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026 The 30-year-old Heim signed a one-year contract with the Braves in February to provide the team catching stability and depth until Sean Murphy returns from hip surgery (which will probably happen this month). Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 3 Apr. 2026 The series returns for season 2 on April 3, with James Marsden joining the cast as the Gatsby-esque billionaire Owen Ashe. Erin Clements, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026 Michele Morrone also returns from the first movie to play Enzo. Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
Gen Z is driving this trend, with shoppers aged 18 to 30 averaging nearly eight online returns per person last year, the NRF found. Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 5 Apr. 2026 The president has taken several steps to sow doubt about the election returns. ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026 An active weather pattern returns by the end of the week due to a southerly wind, an increase in moisture, and a few different disturbances. Lauren Bostwick, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026 Paper returns can take six to eight weeks. Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026 The returns show the couple has two children. Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2026 These numbers may shift a bit over the coming weeks, as more returns are processed. Stephan Bisaha, NPR, 4 Apr. 2026 The greater than double returns of the MD come even after factoring in the average $228,959 students of medicine must pay to earn the degree. Jake Angelo, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for returns
Verb
  • Even if the company restores operations, your data is already out there.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Solving difficult medical cases matters, but so does the trust the process restores in a health system many patients experience as rushed, fragmented, and indifferent.
    Alexandra Sifferlin, STAT, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Shoppers should know that the combination of high-quality materials, strong edge support and elevated construction yields a hotel-like experience, and the craftsmanship is reflected in the price.
    Sharon Brandwein, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
  • University of Bath researchers note that this process yields CO₂ and water only (compatible with concrete).
    Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • At the same time, the latter account type could earn more or less, depending on how its rate responds to market conditions over the following 24 months.
    Matt Richardson, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
  • How a child responds to peer pressure can highlight different traits.
    Amy Morin, Parents, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • But Indiana's growth is projected to slow significantly in the coming decades as natural increase — births outnumbering deaths — gradually reverts into natural decrease.
    Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 31 Mar. 2026
  • The Tuesday announcement also reverts the organization of the office to focus on external IT coordination, instead of also overseeing Health and Human Services’ internal use of technology.
    Brittany Trang, STAT, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Check and uncheck the boxes next each candidate to show/hide their responses.
    Dallas Morning News, Dallas Morning News, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Large language models are trained, in part, on human feedback, and humans tend to prefer agreeable responses.
    Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Somebody who lives in Shawnee but commutes downtown for work, for example, pays the tax, and roughly half its revenue comes from people who live outside the city.
    Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Whether the growth bet pays off or not, the interest rate math embedded in it may be the number Congress pays closest attention to.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • O'Brien replies with a surprised smile, before being led to his new office at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
    Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • These answers are provided here to allow candidates to speak directly to our readers.
    Dallas Morning News, Dallas Morning News, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Taurus April 20 – May 20 Open answers ease the pressure around current conversations.
    Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Returns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/returns. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.

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