RETURNS Synonyms: 127 Similar and Opposite Words

returns 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of return

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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as in yields

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

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as in responds

to speak or write in reaction to a question or to another reaction when I asked him to sit down to dinner, he returned that he would come when he was good and ready

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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

as in responses

something spoken or written in reaction especially to a question I was moved by my grandfather's lengthy return to my casual question about his experiences in the Vietnam War

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as in proceeds

the amount of money left when expenses are subtracted from the total amount received the return on each unit sold has increased since we streamlined the production process

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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

As Holmes serves time in federal prison, the actress returns as her literal double in reenactments and conversations, first haunting the San Diego beach house, then Evans’ new residence in Texas — even interacting with the couple’s kids. — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2026 The Home button returns you to the home screen, and the Location button opens a screen that displays your service address (home) and your current location. — John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026 As darkness returns in late August and September, the northern lights become visible again. — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026 That is design work, and doing it returns time to the person whose judgment the company needs most. — Dr. Nore Salman, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 When the chorus returns later, the same familiar vocal framework is placed within a fuller, denser groove, giving it even greater impact and momentum. — David Penn, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026 The Senegal international wins his individual tussle with the defender, laying the ball off for Johan Manzambi, who quickly returns it to Jackson to score. — Thom Harris, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2026 Baur says once the palms are gone, the native forest returns rapidly. — Lauren Sommer, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026 Perspective returns through movement, humor, curiosity, or a change of scene. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 13 Oct. 2026

Noun

To keep returns low, Daunt shops often placed tiny initial orders, a wan show of confidence that risked seeping down to the fragile economy of the writing life. — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026 This contributes to imperfect fits, product returns, and lower customer satisfaction. — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026 For Athina Kanioura, global chief strategy and transformation officer and CEO of PepsiCo Latin America, rethinking AI’s value means challenging the pressure to prove immediate financial returns. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026 But what will then happen is that the users of AI will start demanding returns. — Shelly Banjo, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026 While the price differential between the two is relatively small, hedge funds often employ large amounts of leverage to further inflate returns. — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2026 Between April 2022 and February 2023, the individuals accessed the account and prepared and filed with the IRS fraudulent employer federal tax returns for MDR Group. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026 The tepid box-office returns mean the studio is now expected to lose at least $150 million on the film, including ancillary revenue streams such as premium video-on-demand and streaming, industry sources said. — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026 This makes Chieri’s moments of intimacy stand out all the more, as warmth returns in scenes with long-time friend Yuki and new friend Shoya. — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for returns

Verb

The battery lasts for up to 37 hours on a single charge, and 15-minute fast charge restores about eight hours of power.

— George Yang, PC Magazine, 8 Oct. 2026
By evening, the Moon enters your 9th House and restores your sense of possibility.

— Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of restores

Verb

An increase to the benchmark interest rate aims to slash inflation by slowing the economy and eating away at demand, though the policy typically yields results after a lag time lasting several months.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Natural cosmic ray muography yields only about 1 muon per square centimeter per second.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of yields

Verb

The next step in capturing electrons in action The achievement could help researchers study how electrons behave in atoms and molecules, including how matter responds to intense X-ray illumination.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
An agent reads a ticket, retrieves a document, queries a database, calls a tool, maybe hands off to a second agent, and only then responds.

— Osman Koc, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of responds

Verb

The decision reverts Missouri’s congressional map to what was used in 2022 and 2024 until voters approve or reject the new map in November.

— Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026
The lease limits what can be built on the site and once the agreement is complete, ownership reverts back to the Spanglers.

— Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of reverts

Noun

Their usefulness will depend on reliable navigation, robust fault responses and effective coordination between onboard systems.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
Their responses were not edited and are in the candidates’ own words.

— Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of responses

Noun

Price optimization means choosing prices that advance business goals, such as increasing profits, attracting shoppers or clearing unsold goods.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
But many citizens don’t own that innovation and so miss out on its profits.

— Sarah Cannon, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of profits

Verb

So instead of making teams whole each time, the NFL now just pays teams’ travel expenses for their international game under the rationale that every team will lose a home game—and, in turn, home game ticket revenue—during that time.

— Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026
The result is a politics in which almost everyone agrees that reform is urgently needed, provided someone else pays, and their own group’s advantages remain untouched.

— Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of pays

Verb

The automation should end when the customer replies, books, declines, becomes unqualified or needs a decision from a person.

— Michael Fox, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
The video then shows Duff taking off her earpiece and saying something to her bandmate, who replies with an unsure gesture.

— Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026