Synonyms

replace

American

[ri-pleys] / rɪˈpleɪs /

verb (used with object)

to assume the former role, position, or function of; substitute for (a person or thing).

Electricity has replaced gas in lighting.

Synonyms:

succeed
to provide a substitute or equivalent in the place of.

to replace a broken dish.
to restore; return; make good.

to replace a sum of money borrowed.

Synonyms:

repay, refund
to restore to a former or the proper place.

to replace the vase on the table.

replace British

/ rɪˈpleɪs /

verb

to take the place of; supersede

the manual worker is being replaced by the machine
to substitute a person or thing for (another which has ceased to fulfil its function); put in place of

to replace an old pair of shoes
to put back or return; restore to its rightful place

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

Replace, supersede, supplant refer to putting one thing or person in place of another. To replace is to take the place of, to succeed: Ms. Jones will replace Mr. Smith as president. Supersede implies that that which is replacing another is an improvement: The computer has superseded the typewriter. Supplant implies that that which takes the other's place has ousted the former holder and usurped the position or function, especially by art or fraud: to supplant a former favorite.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of replace

First recorded in 1585–95; re- + place

Explanation

Is your pen not working? Maybe you need to replace it. To replace is to substitute one thing for another — in this case, to get a new pen and throw the old one away. When you see the word place in it, replace makes sense: replacing is putting something new in place of something old. We need to replace most things at some point: light bulbs burn out and batteries run out, while computers, cars, and socks wear out. When something stops working or is just worn out and old, it might be time to replace it. It's natural to worry that your boss might want to replace you — i.e., fire you and hire someone else. Some things in life cannot be replaced, like a winning lottery ticket or a friend.

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Vocabulary lists containing replace

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re-

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President Obama's second inaugural address

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Now, the Americans have to figure out how to replace Balogun against Belgium, their toughest opponent to date.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026

Traders paid record sums to move oil from Europe and the U.S. to fuel-starved Asian economies desperate to replace energy supplies from the Persian Gulf.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026

In a speech on Monday, his first since launching his bid to replace Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister, Burnham suggested he wanted local communities to be given "greater public control of essential services".

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026

Burnham is widely expected to replace Rachel Reeves as chancellor if he becomes PM, with Energy Secretary Ed Miliband seen as the front-runner to step into the crucial role.

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026

November seeps into December and people replace their gourds and pumpkins with Santa hats and snowmen.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023