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as in to respond
to speak or write in reaction to a question or to another reaction
when I asked him to sit down to dinner, he returned that he would come when he was good and ready
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as in to revert
to go back to a previous and usually lower state or level
vowed to do anything to keep the recovering alcoholic from returning to his dissolute ways
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as in response
something spoken or written in reaction especially to a question
I was moved by my grandfather's lengthy return to my casual question about his experiences in the Vietnam War
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as in revenue
an increase usually measured in money that comes from labor, business, or property
if we buy better equipment, we'll be able to make the product faster, thus getting a better return on our investment
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as in proceeds
the amount of money left when expenses are subtracted from the total amount received
the return on each unit sold has increased since we streamlined the production process
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Cite this Entry
“Return.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/return. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
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