replace

verb

re·​place ri-ˈplās 

replaced; replacing; replaces

transitive verb

1

: to restore to a former place or position

replace cards in a file

2

: to take the place of especially as a substitute or successor

3

: to put something new in the place of

replace a worn carpet

replaceable

ri-ˈplā-sə-bəl 

adjective

replacer noun

Synonyms

• cut out
• displace
• displant
• relieve
• substitute
• supersede
• supplant

Choose the Right Synonym for replace

replace, displace, supplant, supersede mean to put out of a usual or proper place or into the place of another.

replace implies a filling of a place once occupied by something lost, destroyed, or no longer usable or adequate.

replaced the broken window

displace implies an ousting or dislodging.

war had displaced thousands

supplant implies either a dispossessing or usurping of another's place, possessions, or privileges or an uprooting of something and its replacement with something else.

was abruptly supplanted in her affections by another

supersede implies replacing a person or thing that has become superannuated, obsolete, or otherwise inferior.

the new edition supersedes all previous ones

Examples of replace in a Sentence

Will computers ever completely replace books?

Paper bags have been largely replaced by plastic bags.

She was hired to replace the previous manager.

I replaced the old rug with a new one.

They recently replaced the old phone system.

The team's manager was replaced last season.

The patient needed a transfusion to replace lost blood.

They've appointed a new minister to replace the one who just retired.

I guess it's finally time to replace the stove.

He carefully replaced the vase on the shelf.

Recent Examples on the Web

Most often administered as a nasal spray, naloxone finds and replaces opioid receptors, binding stronger than the opioid and effectively blocking it. —Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2024

The concerns come after the Cabarrus County Schools Board of Education voted in early February by a 4-3 count to close the aging elementary school in Concord at the end of the 2023-24 school year, replacing it with a pre-K and community park. —Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 5 June 2024

They are only meant to hold solids and don’t absorb liquids, so they must be replaced with a regular diaper once your child gets out of the water even if they haven’t been soiled. —Jessica Booth, Parents, 5 June 2024

The Korean company replaced the head of its semiconductor division in May with a longtime memory-chip veteran. —Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune Asia, 5 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

replace

verb

re·​place ri-ˈplās 

1

: to put back in a proper or former place

replace a card in a file

2

: to take the place of

paper money has replaced gold coins

3

: to put something new in the place of

replace a broken dish

replaceable

-ˈplā-sə-bəl 

adjective