Synonyms of replace

replace

verb

ri-ˈplās 

1

as in to supersede

to take the place of

the old street lights were replaced by more energy-efficient models

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

2

as in to return

to bring, send, or put back to a former or proper place

took the fragile vase down to look at it and then gently replaced it on the shelf

Synonyms & Similar Words

• return
• restore
• reconvey

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• take
• remove

Synonym Chooser

How is the word replace distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of replace are displace, supersede, and supplant. While all these words 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

When is it sensible to use displace instead of replace?

The words displace and replace are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, displace implies an ousting or dislodging.

war had displaced thousands

When would supersede be a good substitute for replace?

While the synonyms supersede and replace are close in meaning, supersede implies replacing a person or thing that has become superannuated, obsolete, or otherwise inferior.

the new edition supersedes all previous ones

In what contexts can supplant take the place of replace?

The synonyms supplant and replace are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of replace

Under Hegseth, the Defense Department has dislodged eight news organizations from permanent work stations at the Pentagon, including NPR, and invited in seven conservative and right-wing news outlets to replace them (along with one liberal outfit, HuffPost). —David Folkenflik, NPR, 26 Feb. 2025

According to the Mayo Clinic, a liver transplant is a surgery that removes a lier that no longer functions properly due to liver failure and replaces it with either a healthy liver from a deceased donor or a part of a healthy liver from a living donor. —Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 26 Feb. 2025

Customers are replacing orange juice with teas, sparkling water, sports drinks, energy drinks and other beverages that claim to be healthier or offer functional benefits like improved immune systems or energy levels, analysts say. —Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 26 Feb. 2025

Even though Rosemary Farm's California farm won't be able to fully replace its poultry stock until summer and won't be back to egg production until fall, the farm is still thinking about others, within the industry and outside it, Sanpei said. —Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025