rescue
verb
res·cue
ˈre-(ˌ)skyü 
rescued; rescuing
: to free from confinement, danger, or evil : save, deliver
They were rescued from the burning building by firefighters.
… a volunteer group that rescues and nurtures injured and orphaned wildlife …—
Australian Geographic
Australian Geographic(figurative) … the acanthus leaf into which the light fixture on the hall ceiling is set was rescued from a curbside trash heap.—Barbara Deane
: such as
Barbara Deane
a
: to take (someone, such as a prisoner) forcibly from custody
b
: to recover (something, such as a prize) by force
c
: to deliver (a place under siege) by armed force
rescue
noun
Historians are wary of the notion that, at a critical point in history, a heroic figure, galloping to the rescue, snatches victory from the jaws of defeat …
—James MacGregor Burns
James MacGregor Burns
rescuer
noun
Examples of rescue in a Sentence
The survivors were rescued by the Coast Guard.
an all-out effort to rescue a beached whale
Recent Examples on the Web
So Nate decides to use his congenital insensitivity to pain (ICP) to his advantage and rescue the girl of his dreams.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2025
The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie from Ketchup Entertainment, turned indie after being rescued from Warner Bros., opened to $3.17 million on 2,827 screens.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 16 Mar. 2025
The New England Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy, MA has been rescuing, treating, and releasing multiple sea turtle species for over 30 years and has admitted over 500 turtles in just the past three years.
—Priya Shukla, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
The full 23-person crew of the Stena Immaculate was rescued, while only 13 of the 14 people on board the Solong were brought to safety.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rescue
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.
Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2025
The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie from Ketchup Entertainment, turned indie after being rescued from Warner Bros., opened to $3.17 million on 2,827 screens.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 16 Mar. 2025
The New England Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy, MA has been rescuing, treating, and releasing multiple sea turtle species for over 30 years and has admitted over 500 turtles in just the past three years.
—Priya Shukla, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
The full 23-person crew of the Stena Immaculate was rescued, while only 13 of the 14 people on board the Solong were brought to safety.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rescue
Cite this Entry
“Rescue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rescue. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share