redeem

1
2
as in to save
to free from captivity or punishment by paying a price the government has consistently refused to redeem hostages captured by terrorists

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in to forgive
to free from the penalties or consequences of sin the belief that sinners are redeemed by their faith in God

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
as in to rehabilitate
to make better in behavior or character the unfaithful husband made a determined effort to redeem himself in the eyes of his wife and children

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

5
as in to compensate
to make up for (an offense) quickly redeemed the offending remark with a sincere and unconditional apology

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb redeem contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of redeem are deliver, ransom, reclaim, rescue, and save. While all these words mean "to set free from confinement or danger," redeem implies releasing from bondage or penalties by giving what is demanded or necessary.

job training designed to redeem school dropouts from chronic unemployment

When is deliver a more appropriate choice than redeem?

The words deliver and redeem can be used in similar contexts, but deliver implies release usually of a person from confinement, temptation, slavery, or suffering.

delivered his people from bondage

When can ransom be used instead of redeem?

Although the words ransom and redeem have much in common, ransom specifically applies to buying out of captivity.

tried to ransom the kidnap victim

When might reclaim be a better fit than redeem?

The synonyms reclaim and redeem are sometimes interchangeable, but reclaim suggests a bringing back to a former state or condition of someone or something abandoned or debased.

reclaimed long-abandoned farms

When would rescue be a good substitute for redeem?

While in some cases nearly identical to redeem, rescue implies freeing from imminent danger by prompt or vigorous action.

rescued the crew of a sinking ship

In what contexts can save take the place of redeem?

The words save and redeem are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, save may replace any of the foregoing terms; it may further imply a preserving or maintaining for usefulness or continued existence.

an operation that saved my life

Examples 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 redeem In the case of outages, these customers would not get bill credits but would be given the option to redeem a reward card that's valued at $5 or more. Ars Technica, 8 Jan. 2025 Folks who purchase a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, or iPod may redeem a free three-month subscription of Apple TV+. Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2025 Caesars Palace Online Casino’s standout feature is its exceptional rewards program, Caesars Rewards, which can be redeemed at any physical location or online from the app. Matthew Gover, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2025 Stories like these can tap into a rescue fantasy, where love and care are seen as transformative forces capable of redeeming a troubled man. Mark Travers, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for redeem 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for redeem
Verb
  • According to the release, the company in recent years has expanded its ability to fulfill customer orders directly from store locations.
    Gil Macias, People.com, 11 Jan. 2025
  • The company can now fulfill customer orders from store locations, without the fulfillment center, Kohl's said.
    Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The program allows for state income tax exemption for five years, offering investors in big projects to save up to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year per project in property tax savings.
    Alexandra Berzon, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
  • But there’s a catch: Their lending capacity is limited by what members can save.
    Danice Brown Guzmán, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Part of its role was to rehabilitate drug addicts using a naval regimen—a noble yet undignified service for a generation-defining yacht.
    Tristan Rutherford, Robb Report, 3 Jan. 2025
  • After the death in 1971 of Lin Biao, one of Mao’s key lieutenants, Hu was allowed to return to Beijing but was not fully rehabilitated into the ranks of the party elite.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 1 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The water rushing along the road flutters The dress on the corpse of a woman, As the city descends long days and nights Into legend, which won’t compensate for its disasters.
    Czeslaw Milosz, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
  • But the law says that any workers who receive less than the $16.35 minimum wage must be compensated by the restaurants.
    Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 5 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • While Mikhail managed to escape by climbing out a window and taking refuge in a nearby nunnery, the men took his son hostage, and Mikhail was not able to ransom him until several days later.
    Youmna Melhem Chamieh, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
  • The contributions were indeed necessary, for without them there would be no way, for example, to ransom Jewish captives (a major concern of the Diaspora communities throughout the Middle Ages), help the poor and the sick, provide for orphans, or fund synagogues and schools.
    Michael Walzer, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2011
Verb
  • President-elect Donald J. Trump’s suggestion on Tuesday that the United States might reclaim the Panama Canal — potentially by force — unsettled Panamanians, who used to live with the presence of the U.S. military in the canal zone and were invaded by American forces once before.
    Annie Correal, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
  • President-elect Donald Trump is prepared to use the U.S. military to reclaim the Panama Canal and take Greenland.
    Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Medical Debt and Credit Medical debt is a poor predictor of an individual's ability to repay a loan, the CFPB said.
    Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
  • Pell Grants do not have to be repaid and are given to students who come from families with among the lowest incomes or ability to pay for college.
    Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • After that, Plowright enjoyed a career resurgence at the age of 60, satisfying both upmarket tastes and more commercial fare.
    Pan Pylas, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025
  • So is crafting a deal with Vladimir Putin that will satisfy the Russian president’s desires while protecting Ukraine from further Russian aggression.
    Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near redeem

Cite this Entry

“Redeem.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/redeem. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on redeem

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!