Englishfor English speakers
return
Verb
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When you return something, you give/put it back.
He returned the lawnmower back to John.
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When you return to something or somewhere, you go/come back to it.
He returned to China after his trip to Germany.
The main theme of the symphony's first movement returns in the last movement.
I've just returned from class, but I'll be leaving again soon.
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If a feeling, problem, thought, etc. returns, it comes back.
I thought I was better, but the pain in my back has returned.
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If you return to an activity, you start it again.
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If you return an act, you do the same act to the person who did it first.
She turned her eyes towards him and he returned her her look.
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If you return a ball in sports, you hit it back to the other player.
He was unable to return serves all through the match.
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If you return a profit or loss in business, you make it.
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If you return something to a particular state, you make it that way again.
We need to return the earth to a more healthy state.
return
Noun
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Somebody's return is when they come back.
They've planned a celebration for my return home.
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Something's return is when it is given back.
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A return is something that was bought but has to be taken back to the store, usually because it is broken.
This store does not allow returns unless the customer has a receipt.
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The return of something to a particular state is the change back to that state.
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Someone's return to an activity is their restarting of the activity.
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The return on money is the amount or percent of profit earned on it.
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If you do something in return for something else, you do it to thank or pay back somebody; you make things balanced again.
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The return of a feeling, problem, thought, etc. is when it comes back.
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Return is a key on a computer keyboard that puts the cursor back at the beginning of a line.
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A return is a form that you send to the government telling it about your income, your household, etc.
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The returns in an election are the number of votes.
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A return is a ticket that takes you where you want to go and back home again.
passing
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noun
(= pass, passing play)
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
the coach sent in a passing play on third and long
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adjective
(= ephemeral, transient, transitory, fugacious)
lasting a very short time
the ephemeral joys of childhood
a passing fancy
youth's transient beauty
love is transitory but it is eternal
fugacious blossoms
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noun
euphemistic expressions for death
thousands mourned his passing
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noun
the motion of one object relative to another
stellar passings can perturb the orbits of comets
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noun
the end of something
the passing of winter
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noun
(= pass)
success in satisfying a test or requirement
his future depended on his passing that test
he got a pass in introductory chemistry
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noun
going by something that is moving in order to get in front of it
she drove but well but her reckless passing of every car on the road frightened me
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adjective
(= pass)
of advancing the ball by throwing it
a team with a good passing attack
a pass play
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adjective
allowing you to pass (e.g., an examination or inspection) satisfactorily
a passing grade
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noun
(= passage)
a bodily reaction of changing from one place or stage to another
the passage of air from the lungs
the passing of flatus
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adjective
(= casual, cursory, perfunctory)
hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
a casual (or cursory) inspection failed to reveal the house's structural flaws
a passing glance
perfunctory courtesy
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adverb
(= extremely)
to an extreme degree
extremely cold
extremely unpleasant