rescue mission

noun

plural rescue missions

1

: a city religious mission (see mission entry 1 sense 4a) providing social and spiritual assistance to the poor and needy

The nonprofit, Christian-based rescue mission has provided a variety of social services to the poor and homeless over its 55-year history.

—Janet Lavelle

also : the premises of a rescue mission

I used to go quite often to Charleston, West Virginia to speak in the old rescue mission …

—Lee Roberson

2

: an undertaking to rescue someone or something from a dangerous or difficult situation

They kept him alive that way for more than twenty-four hours, waiting for a helicopter rescue mission that came too late.

—Jamie James

After a 12-hour rescue mission, navy personnel were able to tow the animal safely to land.

—Brigit Katz

Examples of rescue mission in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The first dead body was recovered two days into the rescue mission, and three days later, on Jan. 11, the other three were found. —Charna Flam, People.com, 21 Feb. 2025

The season picks up as Reacher, now a drifter, becomes embroiled in a rescue mission of an undercover DEA informant while confronting his own haunted past, according to Prime Video. —Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025

And then there's Rip serving as a human tank in the rescue mission to save Kayce's (Luke Grimes) son Tate (Brecken Merrill). —EW.com, 19 Feb. 2025

So, when Paddington learns that Lucy is in trouble, Mrs. Brown jumps at the opportunity for some vacation bonding and ushers her family into a Peruvian rescue mission. —Natalia Winkelman, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rescue mission

• abolition
• acquisition
• admonition
• ammunition
• apparition
• apposition
• coalition
• competition
• composition
• definition
• deglutition
• demolition