restore
Americanverb (used with object)
-
restores,
present (3rd person singular)
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restored,
past participle, past
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restoring
present participle
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to bring back into existence, use, or the like; reestablish.
to restore order.
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to bring back to a former, original, or normal condition, as a building, statue, or painting.
- Synonyms:
- mend
-
to bring back to a state of health, soundness, or vigor.
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to put back to a former place, or to a former position, rank, etc..
to restore the king to his throne.
-
to give back; make return or restitution of (anything taken away or lost).
-
to reproduce or reconstruct (an ancient building, extinct animal, etc.) in the original state.
- Synonyms:
- rebuild
verb
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to return (something, esp a work of art or building) to an original or former condition
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to bring back to health, good spirits, etc
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to return (something lost, stolen, etc) to its owner
-
to reintroduce or re-enforce
to restore discipline
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to reconstruct (an extinct animal, former landscape, etc)
Synonym Usage
See renew.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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restorablenessnoun
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restorernoun
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quasi-restoredadjective
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restorableadjective
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self-restoringadjective
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unrestorableadjective
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unrestoredadjective
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well-restoredadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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restoresimple
-
restoressimple
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have restoredperfect
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has restoredperfect
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am restoringprogressive
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are restoringprogressive
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is restoringprogressive
-
have been restoringperfect progressive
-
has been restoringperfect progressive
Past
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restoredsimple
-
had restoredperfect
-
was restoringprogressive
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were restoringprogressive
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had been restoringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of restore
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English restoren, from Old French restorer, from Latin restaurāre; see re-, store
Explanation
If you restore furniture for a living, you clean and repair it to bring it back to its original beauty. When you restore something, you are simply bringing it back to what it once was. You are not making it better, nor are you adding something that wasn't there. You can restore a damaged reputation, your health, or an old house, though the latter may be easiest of those three to accomplish. If the electricity goes out, you will have to sit in the dark until the power is restored.
Vocabulary lists containing restore
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“Vaccine Controversy Shows Why We Need Markets, Not Mandates” by Ron Paul
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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.
See Examples For:
Comments from Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang also helped restore some confidence in the AI trade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
“I have made it clear that I would seek a chief who can keep Angelenos safe and restore trust with our immigrant communities.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Its goal is to restore the site, which has the world's southernmost Post Office, museum, and more than 1,000 gentoo penguins.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Although this is still an emerging area of research, evidence suggests these compounds have small-to-moderate effects on reducing soreness after workouts, and may also help restore muscular strength and power.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026
There are all kinds of dyes, polishes, and swatches of leather Mr. Malloy uses to restore the customers’ shoes, handbags, wallets, and belts.
From "Betty Before X" by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renée Watson
Although exercise, physical therapy, weight management, and medications can help manage symptoms, there is currently no established treatment that reliably restores cartilage lost to osteoarthritis.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Federal Court in Washington, D.C. asking for a temporary restraining order that restores their access immediately while the case is heard.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
Backshall, who hosted the Wild Heligan experience to excite young people about wildlife, said: "I see every day how nature revitalises, restores and fills people with joy."
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
CF Industries is the most direct loser because it mainly produces nitrogen fertilizers like urea and ammonia, whose prices would be falling as the Middle East’s supply flow restores following the reopening of Hormuz.
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
The yin fixes the yang, the image restores the original: with DNA, as with Dorian Gray, the prototype is constantly reinvigorated by its portrait.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Full Starlink—or Starshield—service in Ukraine appears to have been restored.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
But when they reduced DEAF1, the balance between protein production and removal improved, and muscle strength was restored.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
Output was almost fully restored by Wednesday, according to the Marine Mineral Administration.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
It had been partially restored by Wednesday evening, Ukraine's former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
“And I have a surprise. I’ve arranged for a private visit at the Sinagoga del Tránsito, which dates from before 1492. It’s been restored and is now the Museo Sefardí.”
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
Unlike ocean waves, which move through water, atmospheric gravity waves are disturbances that propagate through the air, with gravity acting as a restoring force.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
Although the lawsuit focused on immigration courthouses, the ruling also covered state criminal courthouses, restoring earlier restrictions that barred civil immigration arrests in or near courthouses except in limited circumstances.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
Scientists investigating that possibility found that restoring a protein called Menin in older mice improved memory, balance, bone mass, and skin thickness in just 30 days.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
The government said the completion of works on Friday showed "just how serious" it was about tackling waste crime and restoring affected countryside.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Granddaddy goes to the backyard to work on this old pickup truck he’s been restoring since I was a kid.
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
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