save people's lives

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   To stop people from dying, especially in a dangerous or emergency situation.

   Grammar: Used as a verb phrase; you can also say 'save lives' without 'people's' when the meaning is general.

   Patterns

   • save people's lives
   • save lives
   • help save people's lives

   The new vaccine could save people's lives in poorer countries.

   Firefighters risk their own safety to save people's lives.

   Early treatment saves people's lives, so don't wait for the pain to get worse.

2. 2phrasefixed phrase

   To rescue people from serious harm, not necessarily death.

   Grammar: Often used in news reports and campaigns; the focus is on a serious, dramatic rescue.

   Patterns

   • save people's lives in a disaster
   • save people's lives by doing something

   Better building rules save people's lives during earthquakes.

   The lifeguard's quick action saved people's lives that day.

Common combinations

save lives

Simple hand-washing can save lives in hospitals.

help save people's lives

Donating blood can help save people's lives.

save people's lives in an emergency

Trained staff can save people's lives in an emergency.

risk your life to save people's lives

He risked his life to save people's lives in the flood.

Synonyms and how they differ

rescue

Rescue means to get someone out of danger; it does not always suggest that they would otherwise die.

save lives

A shorter, more general version of the same idea, common in headlines and campaigns.

Opposites

Word family

lifesaver noun

A person or thing that saves someone from death or serious trouble.

life-saving adjective

Able to save someone's life, as in life-saving treatment.

save verb

To keep someone or something from harm or death.

Commonly confused: save people's lives or save time?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “save people's lives”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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