redeem

verb

ri-ˈdēm How to pronounce redeem (audio)
Definition of redeemnext
1
as in to fulfill
to do what is required by the terms of the Little League coach redeemed his promise to take the players out for ice cream if they improved their fielding over the season

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Example 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 How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Stay Raffles Sentosa Singapore participates in Accor’s Accor Live Limitless loyalty program, meaning Accor members can redeem ALL points for a stay. —Cameron Sperance, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2025 The Golden Globe nominee understands if fans were skeptical of his character Jim Hopper returning for Season 4 after he was seemingly obliterated while closing the gate to the Upside Down, the ultimate form of self-sacrifice to redeem him after his daughter’s death. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2025 However, the all-you-can-eat wings deals can be redeemed by dine-in patrons only and, as the company outlined in its statement, are available for a limited time. —Moná Thomas, People.com, 18 Apr. 2025 As part of Thursday’s update, Coinbase users will also be able to redeem their PYUSD for dollars directly on the Coinbase platform, mirroring a USDC capability. —Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for redeem
Recent Examples of Synonyms for redeem
  1. fulfill
  2. save
  3. rehabilitate
  4. compensate
  5. ransom
  6. reclaim
  7. repay
  8. satisfy
Verb
  • The house not only supplied the actresses with clothes, jewelry, accessories and makeup, but also provided a portion of the budget to allow director Olivier Assayas to fulfill his dream of shooting the movie on 35-mm film instead of digitally.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 13 May 2025
  • But the recent tariff cut has given them a chance to ramp up shipments from China and restock their warehouses and fulfill existing orders, supply chain experts say.
    — Anniek Bao,Dylan Butts, CNBC, 13 May 2025
Definition of fulfill
Verb
  • To say that is an insult to the years of painful work my wife has done to save herself.
    — Jay Stahl, USA Today, 17 May 2025
  • America’s millionaires are now mostly on the coasts, in states with expensive real estate and high income jobs that generate more possibilities to save and invest.
    — Mark Dent, HubSpot, 16 May 2025
Definition of save
Verb
  • His actions solidified the public’s perception of him as unlikely to ever rehabilitate his image or return to public duties.
    — Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2025
  • And if Harvey Weinstein, the man whose name became synonymous with #MeToo, can be rehabilitated, well … maybe #MeToo never even happened?
    — Air Mail, Air Mail, 26 Apr. 2025
Definition of rehabilitate
Verb
  • What To Know Electric vehicle registration fees vary widely across the country, with some states already charging EV drivers more to compensate for their lack of fuel tax contributions.
    — Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
  • Trained as an electronic engineer at a school of advanced studies in Venezuela, Pernía, 37, has had to compensate for his losses by working as a driver, using his car to support his wife and child.
    — Gustavo Ocando Alex, Miami Herald, 1 May 2025
Definition of compensate
Verb
  • This could suggest that while attackers are targeting more victims, fewer are giving in to ransom demands.
    — Sam Sabin, Axios, 7 Feb. 2025
  • 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
Definition of ransom
Verb
  • Gracie Abrams reclaims the No. 1 spot on the ARIA Albums Chart this week with The Secret of Us (via Interscope/Universal), marking its third non-consecutive week at the top, while Australian artist Dope Lemon earns another top 10 debut with his latest release Golden Wolf, which enters at No. 8.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 9 May 2025
  • The flagship cryptocurrency reclaimed the $100,000 level on Thursday.
    — Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 8 May 2025
Definition of reclaim
Verb
  • Allow employees to allocate employer contributions to retirement, emergency savings, repaying student loans and other financial priorities.
    — Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
  • Meanwhile, credit quality held steady, with losses below 1% in the company’s core offering that allows users to repay loans in four installments.
    — MacKenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 8 May 2025
Definition of repay
Verb
  • Interviews with the soldiers and Russian opinion surveys show that such a truce would also fail to satisfy a large part of Russian society.
    — Anatoly Kurmanaev, New York Times, 17 May 2025
  • Designed to satisfy North American tastes, Nutella Peanut will blend the traditional creamy recipe from 1964 with the flavor of roasted peanuts.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 16 May 2025
Definition of satisfy

Browse Nearby Words

redecorating
redeem
redeemable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Redeem.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/redeem. Accessed 20 May. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on redeem

Nglish: Translation of redeem for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Using Bullet Points ( • )

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Homophones, Homographs, and Homonyms

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

10 Hella Good U.S. Regionalisms

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things
See More

Popular

See More

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

10 Hella Good U.S. Regionalisms
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All