What does "replace" mean?
To restore to a former place, position, condition, etc.; to put back.
Replace
/ɹɪˈpleɪs/ verb
verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To restore to a former place, position, condition, etc.; to put back.
- Grammar: replace is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: exchange, substitute, swap, act for.
- Useful contrasts: appointing, billet, darning.
- Usage evidence: I look around but it's you I can't replace.
How to use "replace"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "replace" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "replace" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "replace" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "replace" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "replace" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "exchange" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "replace", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To restore to a former place, position, condition, etc.; to put back. transitive
"When you've finished using the telephone, please replace the handset."
- 2 substitute a person or thing for (another that is broken or inefficient or lost or no longer working or yielding what is expected) wordnet
- 3 To refund; to repay; to pay back. transitive
"You can take what you need from the petty cash, but you must replace it tomorrow morning."
- 4 put something back where it belongs wordnet
- 5 To supply or substitute an equivalent with. transitive
"I replaced my car with a newer model."
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 put in the place of another; switch seemingly equivalent items wordnet
- 7 To take over the position or role from. transitive
"Perplexed, Wheeler continues to play for a moment or two, keeping to his own internal time. But after another moment it becomes clear that something is wrong, something which everybody can see but him. He steals a glance up from his instrument, and finds that Luján is staring at him. In fact, every musician in the orchestra is staring at him, all of them wearing the same expression of stony, barely-contained ang— They've been replaced."
- 8 take the place or move into the position of wordnet
- 9 To take the place of; to be used instead of. transitive
"This security pass replaces the one you were given earlier."
- 10 To demolish (a building) and build an updated form of that building in its place. transitive
- 11 To place again. rare, transitive
"During the bench press, it is prohibited in any federation to lift your butt from contact with the bench after you have started a bona fide attempt to perform the lift. Once you unrack the bar and begin descending it to your chest, your butt must stay in contact with the bench until you replace the bar on the rack."
- 12 To put in a new or different place. rare, transitive
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"I look around but it's you I can't replace."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "replace"?
Common synonyms include: exchange, substitute, swap, act for, ai changé, alter.
How do you use "replace" in a sentence?
I look around but it's you I can't replace.
How do you pronounce "replace"?
Pronounced /ɹɪˈpleɪs/.
Etymology
From re- + place.