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 of redeem in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Recent Examples on the Web To redeem, members can use the Walmart app to access member prices and can pay at the pump or inside the store. Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 25 Oct. 2024 But the film redeems itself once its larger emotional arc comes into focus. Natalia Winkelman, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2024 AAdvantage members with top-tier elite status can now also choose to redeem miles (24,000 miles for Platinum Pros; 20,000 miles for Executive Platinums) for as many as two passes to Flagship Dining in the Dallas/Fort Worth or Miami Flagship Lounges. Ramsey Qubein, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024 How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Stay L'Hôtel du Couvent is part of Marriott's Bonvoy's Luxury Collection, allowing guests to earn and redeem coveted points. Paul Jebara, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for redeem 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for redeem
Verb
  • What does success look like for you—not defined by others, but by what genuinely fulfills and energizes you?
    Ruhama Wolle, Glamour, 4 Nov. 2024
  • She is tasked to help fulfill BYD’s goal of generating nearly half of its sales abroad, up from 30% of its annual 301 billion yuan ($43 billion) revenue as of June 2024.
    Forbes Press Releases, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Adding poignancy, the narrative is interspersed with obituaries of some of the patients Shelly could not save, showing them as human beings and not just names on a medical chart.
    Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 10 Nov. 2024
  • Projects save automatically, and even after downloading multiple projects, the total install size remained around 4GB, a fraction of the 512GB microSD in my Switch.
    PCMAG, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • If a judge agrees, a parole board will evaluate their case while examining their efforts to rehabilitate.
    Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
  • California law also allows a prosecutor to evaluate whether a person has been rehabilitated and then ask a court to determine whether the person should be resentenced, Gascón said.
    Phil Helsel, NBC News, 25 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • Research has shown that one reason for Zoom fatigue is the brain’s attempt to compensate for the lack of full-body, nonverbal communication cues.
    thehustle.co, thehustle.co, 1 Nov. 2024
  • While such overworking might not be a problem in our short experiment, those who work for tips might be continually pushed to work more shifts to compensate for the uncertainty in their earnings.
    Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • They were taken by speedboats to the jungles of the southern Philippine province of Sulu, where they were held in harsh conditions before being mostly ransomed off using millions of dollars reportedly provided by then-Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi.
    Jim Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024
  • Nestor explains that the employee sold him out to some Haitians, who stole his product and now want to ransom it back to him.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 16 June 2024
Verb
  • Now those countries sent Lebanon humanitarian aid, perhaps hoping to reclaim some influence over the country’s politics and populace.
    Kim Ghattas, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2024
  • For Payton, cannabis offers not only an alternative to pharmaceuticals but a pathway to reclaim health naturally and sustainably.
    Javier Hasse, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • If the plan moves forward, the city would use its reserve fund — a bucket of money used for budget crises — to pay off the legal bills, then repay the reserve fund with the loan.
    Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
  • The Biden administration moved ahead with a third attempt at broad student loan cancellation last week, focused on helping Americans who face medical bills, child care costs and other types of financial hardship that prevent them from repaying their loans.
    Khaleda Rahman, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • In essence, the Fed has satisfied its dual mandate of keeping inflation and unemployment low.
    Rob Wile, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
  • Get The Recipe 16 of 25 Classic Pumpkin Pie Made with refrigerated pie dough, this richly spiced pie will satisfy the Thanksgiving purists.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 5 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near redeem

Cite this Entry

“Redeem.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/redeem. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on redeem

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