rescue

To bring someone or something out of danger.

• They rescued the child.
• A helicopter rescued us from the mountain.
• Who rescued the passengers after the boat sank?

How to use it: rescue someone/something from something (Firefighters rescued the dog from the burning house.)

Similar words: save

Common phrases: rescue someone, rescue a child, rescue from danger

To free someone who is being held or physically prevented from leaving.

• They rescued the hostages.
• The team rescued three prisoners during the night.
• She was rescued from the locked room.

How to use it: rescue someone from something (The soldiers rescued him from captivity.)

Similar words: free, liberate

Opposites: capture

Common phrases: rescue a hostage, rescue prisoners, rescue from captivity

To save an unwanted object and make it useful again.

• I rescued an old chair.
• She rescued the cabinet and repaired its doors.
• These shelves were rescued from a building being demolished.

How to use it: rescue something from something (We rescued this table from a rubbish heap.)

Similar words: salvage, reclaim

Opposites: discard

Common phrases: rescue old furniture, rescue a chair

To take something back from someone by force.

• The soldiers rescued the stolen supplies.
• They fought to rescue their captured goods.
• Armed villagers rescued their cattle from the thieves.

How to use it: rescue something from someone (They rescued the stolen horses from the raiders.)

Similar words: recover, recapture

Common phrases: rescue stolen goods, rescue captured property

To lead someone away from sin or spiritual danger.

• They hoped to rescue lost souls.
• He believed faith had rescued him from evil.
• Her prayers asked God to rescue him from sin.

How to use it: rescue someone from something (The preacher spoke of rescuing people from sin.)

Similar words: save, redeem

Common phrases: rescue a soul, rescue from sin

An action that brings someone or something out of danger.

• The rescue took an hour.
• A rescue team reached the stranded family.
• Her quick action made the rescue possible.

How to use it: the rescue of someone/something (We watched the rescue of the injured climber.)

Common phrases: rescue team, rescue operation, come to the rescue

An action that frees someone who is being held.

• The hostage rescue succeeded.
• They planned a rescue from the prison.
• No prisoners were injured during the rescue.

How to use it: the rescue of someone (The rescue of the hostages required careful planning.)

Similar words: liberation

Common phrases: hostage rescue, prisoner rescue, rescue mission

A military action that frees a place surrounded or threatened by enemy forces.

• The city awaited rescue.
• The fortress received no rescue from the royal army.
• The rescue of the besieged town ended months of hunger.

Similar words: relief, liberation

Common phrases: rescue of something, rescue by troops