Return
Return verb - To speak or write in reaction to a question or to another reaction.
Usage example: when I asked him to sit down to dinner, he returned that he would come when he was good and ready
Respond is a synonym for return in answer topic. In some cases you can use "Respond" instead the word "Return" as a verb or a noun, when it comes to topics like reply, speech, ask, come again. popular alternative
Respond
Respond verb - To act or behave in response (as to a stimulus or influence).
Usage example: doctors studying how the brain responds to pain
Return is a synonym for respond in speech topic. You can use "Return" instead the word "Respond" as a verb or a noun, if it concerns topics such as ask, answer, reply, come again. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
Common collocations
Cite this Source
Respond and Return. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/return/respond
Return & Respond. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/return/respond>.
Respond or Return. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/return/respond.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "return" and "respond" have occurred on timeline