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
Two flight attendants were rescued from the back of the aircraft and are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
His replacement, Alan Dale, left Parkinson fuming with his 95th-minute awarding of a penalty that Charlton’s Matty Godden netted to rescue a point.
—Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
All 181 passengers and crew aboard a passenger jet that crashed upon landing in South Korea on Sunday morning are presumed dead except for two people rescued from the wreckage, authorities said.
—Sam Sweeney, ABC News, 29 Dec. 2024
Dog rescued after hiker spots her bright eyes A 2-year-old female shar-pei mix was rescued from the Lookout Mountain Preserve in late April.
—Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 27 Dec. 2024
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.
George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
His replacement, Alan Dale, left Parkinson fuming with his 95th-minute awarding of a penalty that Charlton’s Matty Godden netted to rescue a point.
—Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
All 181 passengers and crew aboard a passenger jet that crashed upon landing in South Korea on Sunday morning are presumed dead except for two people rescued from the wreckage, authorities said.
—Sam Sweeney, ABC News, 29 Dec. 2024
Dog rescued after hiker spots her bright eyes A 2-year-old female shar-pei mix was rescued from the Lookout Mountain Preserve in late April.
—Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 27 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rescue
Dictionary Entries Near rescue
Cite this Entry
“Rescue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rescue. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share