returnverb
uk/rɪˈtɜːn/us/rɪˈtɝːn/return verb (GO BACK)
A2 [ I ] to come or go back to a previous place:
C1 If people or things return to a previous condition, they go back to that condition:
B2 If you return to an activity or subject, you start doing it or talking about it again:
More examples
- Escape from this window and return to the main menu.
- He was paged at the airport and told to return home immediately.
- He returned in triumph from the sales with a half-price stereo system.
- These animals always return to the same breeding ground.
- The opposition leader returned to a hero's welcome after seven years in exile.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Returning to a place
- backtrack
- call
- call back
- come
- come back
- darken
- double
- double back
- get back
- go
- go back
- not darken sb's door idiom
- reappear
- regain
- resume
- retrace
- retrace your steps idiom
- snap
- turn (sb) back
- U-turn
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return verb (EXCHANGE)
C1 [ T ] to give, do, or get something after something similar has been given or done to you:
to give a particular amount of profit:
More examples
- She returned his smile.
- I'm sorry I didn't return your phone call earlier.
- Rosie looked at Rob, who returned her curious glance.
- If you look after Lucy this morning I can return the favour next week and take Evie off your hands for a few hours.
- Taylor has praised her skill in dealing with the situation and Churchill returns the compliment.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Reciprocating
- another
- each other
- give and take
- it takes two to tango idiom
- mutual
- mutualism
- mutually
- one another 2
- one good turn deserves another idiom
- reciprocal
- reciprocate
- reciprocity
- requite
- scratch
- turn
- two
- two-way
- unrequited
- you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours idiom
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
return verb (PUT BACK)
A2 [ T ] to send, take, give, put, etc. something back to where it came from:
[ T ] in sports such as tennis, to hit the ball back to your opponent
More examples
- Please return the completed form at your earliest convenience.
- She demanded that he return the books he borrowed from her.
- You pay a deposit of 10p on the bottle, which you get back when you return the empty bottle.
- She was disappointed to see her essay returned with a mass of corrections in red ink.
- A date stamp inside the front cover of a library book shows when it should be returned.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Giving, bringing or getting back
- bring
- bring sth back
- claw
- claw sth back
- go
- go back
- money-back
- non-returnable
- put
- redeem
- replace
- restitution
- restore
- retake
- retrieve
- reversion
- send
- take
- take sth back
- turn
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return verb (HAPPEN AGAIN)
B2 [ I ] to happen again:
More examples
- When the good weather returns we'll go back there.
- If these feelings return I shall know how to deal with them.
- He'd had some problems with his health which returned this year.
- If the sick feeling returns, take these tablets.
- I've kept some medication in case the pain returns.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Occurring and happening
- afoot
- assail
- asynchronous
- attendant
- be at work idiom
- become
- come round
- come up
- event
- go ahead
- go down
- go hand in hand with sth idiom
- go together
- go with sth
- hand
- happen
- intervene
- materialize
- turn up
- underway
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return verb (DECIDE)
to decide and say if you think someone is guilty or not guilty, or what punishment the person will be given in a court of law:
[ T ] UK to elect someone to be a member of parliament, or to another political job:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Decisions and deciding
- be make or break for sb/sth idiom
- be on the horns of a dilemma idiom
- clinch
- clincher
- come down on one side of the fence or the other idiom
- come to sth
- decider
- fight
- fish
- hammer sth out
- head
- it's a date idiom
- judgment call
- make or break sth idiom
- make up your mind idiom
- mind
- nail sth down
- name
- name the day idiom
- spin a coin idiom
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returnnoun
uk/rɪˈtɜːn/us/rɪˈtɝːn/return noun (GOING BACK)
B1 [ S ] an occasion when someone goes or comes back to a place where they were before:
[ S ] an occasion when you start to do or have something again:
B1 [ C ] UK also return ticket, US round-trip ticket a ticket for travel to a place and back again:
More examples
- On their return they discovered that their house had been burgled.
- Everyone rejoiced at the news of his safe return.
- The government is trying to encourage a return to the soil.
- She made a triumphant return to the stage after several years working in television.
- Her popularity has declined since her triumphal return from exile two years ago.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Returning to a place
- backtrack
- call
- call back
- come
- come back
- darken
- double
- double back
- get back
- go
- go back
- not darken sb's door idiom
- reappear
- regain
- resume
- retrace
- retrace your steps idiom
- snap
- turn (sb) back
- U-turn
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
return noun (EXCHANGE)
More examples
- He's on to a good thing, he has free accommodation in return for answering the phone when the family are out.
- In return for some caretaking duties, we are offering a free flat and a small remuneration.
- A mixture of selected funds is an optimum choice for future security and return on investment.
- The makers of the film will want to see a decent return on their investment.
- We've put £20,000 capital into the business, but we're unlikely to see any return for a few years.
B2 in exchange:
[ C or U ] the act of giving, doing, or receiving something in exchange for something:
[ C or U ] the profit that you get from an investment:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Reciprocating
- another
- each other
- give and take
- it takes two to tango idiom
- mutual
- mutualism
- mutually
- one another 2
- one good turn deserves another idiom
- reciprocal
- reciprocate
- reciprocity
- requite
- scratch
- turn
- two
- two-way
- unrequited
- you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours idiom
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
return noun (HAPPENING AGAIN)
[ S ] an occasion when something starts to happen or be used again:
More examples
- He advocates the return of capital punishment.
- She would like to see the return of the death penalty in Britain.
- It doesn't seem likely that we will see a return to full employment in the near future.
- The government is aiming to bring about a return to full employment.
- He argued for a return to traditional family values.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Events and occurrences
- -athon
- a close call idiom
- a close/near thing idiom
- action
- all-nighter
- back story
- be (all) part of life's rich tapestry/pageant idiom
- development
- event
- goings-on
- happening
- incident
- jamboree
- life event
- past
- spree
- synchronicity
- thing
- to-ing and fro-ing
- turn of events
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return noun (COMPUTER KEY)
B1 [ U ] the key on a computer keyboard that you press in order to say that the words or numbers on the screen are correct, or that an instruction should be performed, or in order to move down a line on the screen:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Computer hardware
- 3-D printer
- blackberry
- brick
- bubblejet
- codec
- handheld
- joypad
- Macintosh
- micro
- microcomputer
- motherboard
- mouse
- ram
- shift key
- tablet
- toggle
- trackball
- underscore
- VDT
- word processor
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return noun (GIVING BACK)
C1 [ S ] the act of giving, putting, or sending something back:
[ C ] the act of hitting the ball back to your opponent in sports such as tennis:
goods that have been taken back to the shop where they were bought by customers because they are damaged or unsuitable
US the votes that are returned, or the results of the voting, in an election:
in the first post collection that leaves after you receive a letter:
More examples
- They demanded a huge ransom for the return of the little girl whom they had kidnapped.
- The country has been able to celebrate the return of its independence so brutally snuffed out in 1940.
- Her voice was breaking with emotion as she pleaded for her child's return.
- The writer pleaded for the return of his stolen manuscript.
- What a wonderful backhand return!
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Giving, bringing or getting back
- bring
- bring sth back
- claw
- claw sth back
- go
- go back
- money-back
- non-returnable
- put
- redeem
- replace
- restitution
- restore
- retake
- retrieve
- reversion
- send
- take
- take sth back
- turn
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
returnadjective [ before noun ]
uk/rɪˈtɜːn/us/rɪˈtɝːn/The return part of a journey is the part in which you go back to the place where you started:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Returning to a place
- backtrack
- call
- call back
- come
- come back
- darken
- double
- double back
- get back
- go
- go back
- not darken sb's door idiom
- reappear
- regain
- resume
- retrace
- retrace your steps idiom
- snap
- turn (sb) back
- U-turn
See more results »