diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py b/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
index b9f4cafc6c7e..5579d19c6ad2 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
@@ -1296,7 +1296,8 @@ def _label_from_arg(y, default_name):
 
 
 def _add_data_doc(docstring, replace_names):
-    """Add documentation for a *data* field to the given docstring.
+    """
+    Add documentation for a *data* field to the given docstring.
 
     Parameters
     ----------
@@ -1309,6 +1310,7 @@ def _add_data_doc(docstring, replace_names):
 
     Returns
     -------
+    str
         The augmented docstring.
     """
     if (docstring is None
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/afm.py b/lib/matplotlib/afm.py
index 74beae927e6e..dc33f0300766 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/afm.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/afm.py
@@ -286,13 +286,13 @@ def _parse_composites(fh):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    composites : dict
+    dict
         A dict mapping composite character names to a parts list. The parts
         list is a list of `.CompositePart` entries describing the parts of
         the composite.
 
-    Example
-    -------
+    Examples
+    --------
     A composite definition line::
 
       CC Aacute 2 ; PCC A 0 0 ; PCC acute 160 170 ;
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/animation.py b/lib/matplotlib/animation.py
index 7ff2dd36b5bb..664cf52af249 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/animation.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/animation.py
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ def is_available(self, name):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        available : bool
+        bool
         """
         try:
             cls = self._registered[name]
@@ -1281,7 +1281,7 @@ def to_html5_video(self, embed_limit=None):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        video_tag : str
+        str
             An HTML5 video tag with the animation embedded as base64 encoded
             h264 video.
             If the *embed_limit* is exceeded, this returns the string
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/artist.py b/lib/matplotlib/artist.py
index 16dcd623a0bb..0e9cd131e2e7 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/artist.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/artist.py
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ def get_tightbbox(self, renderer):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        bbox : `.Bbox`
+        `.Bbox`
             The enclosing bounding box (in figure pixel coordinates).
         """
         bbox = self.get_window_extent(renderer)
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ def func(artist: Artist) -> Any
 
         Returns
         -------
-        oid : int
+        int
             The observer id associated with the callback. This id can be
             used for removing the callback with `.remove_callback` later.
 
@@ -629,7 +629,7 @@ def get_sketch_params(self):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        sketch_params : tuple or None
+        tuple or None
 
             A 3-tuple with the following elements:
 
@@ -1109,7 +1109,7 @@ def findobj(self, match=None, include_self=True):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        artists : list of `.Artist`
+        list of `.Artist`
 
         """
         if match is None:  # always return True
@@ -1599,7 +1599,7 @@ def kwdoc(artist):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    string
+    str
         The settable properties of *artist*, as plain text if
         :rc:`docstring.hardcopy` is False and as a rst table (intended for
         use in Sphinx) if it is True.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
index ba0da395bea1..f6fe59e4c74d 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ def get_title(self, loc="center"):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        title : str
+        str
             The title text string.
 
         """
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ def set_title(self, label, fontdict=None, loc=None, pad=None, **kwargs):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        text : `.Text`
+        `.Text`
             The matplotlib text instance representing the title
 
         Other Parameters
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ def set_xlabel(self, xlabel, fontdict=None, labelpad=None, *,
         **kwargs : `.Text` properties
             `.Text` properties control the appearance of the label.
 
-        See also
+        See Also
         --------
         text : Documents the properties supported by `.Text`.
         """
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ def set_ylabel(self, ylabel, fontdict=None, labelpad=None, *,
         **kwargs : `.Text` properties
             `.Text` properties control the appearance of the label.
 
-        See also
+        See Also
         --------
         text : Documents the properties supported by `.Text`.
         """
@@ -377,14 +377,14 @@ def legend(self, *args, **kwargs):
             is shown in the legend and the automatic mechanism described above
             is not sufficient.
 
+        Returns
+        -------
+        `~matplotlib.legend.Legend`
+
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
         %(_legend_kw_doc)s
 
-        Returns
-        -------
-        legend : `~matplotlib.legend.Legend`
-
         Notes
         -----
         Some artists are not supported by this function.  See
@@ -708,7 +708,7 @@ def text(self, x, y, s, fontdict=None, **kwargs):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        text : `.Text`
+        `.Text`
             The created `.Text` instance.
 
         Other Parameters
@@ -784,7 +784,7 @@ def axhline(self, y=0, xmin=0, xmax=1, **kwargs):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        line : `~matplotlib.lines.Line2D`
+        `~matplotlib.lines.Line2D`
 
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
@@ -794,7 +794,7 @@ def axhline(self, y=0, xmin=0, xmax=1, **kwargs):
 
             %(_Line2D_docstr)s
 
-        See also
+        See Also
         --------
         hlines : Add horizontal lines in data coordinates.
         axhspan : Add a horizontal span (rectangle) across the axis.
@@ -853,7 +853,7 @@ def axvline(self, x=0, ymin=0, ymax=1, **kwargs):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        line : `~matplotlib.lines.Line2D`
+        `~matplotlib.lines.Line2D`
 
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
@@ -863,6 +863,12 @@ def axvline(self, x=0, ymin=0, ymax=1, **kwargs):
 
             %(_Line2D_docstr)s
 
+        See Also
+        --------
+        vlines : Add vertical lines in data coordinates.
+        axvspan : Add a vertical span (rectangle) across the axis.
+        axline : Add a line with an abritrary slope.
+
         Examples
         --------
         * draw a thick red vline at *x* = 0 that spans the yrange::
@@ -877,12 +883,6 @@ def axvline(self, x=0, ymin=0, ymax=1, **kwargs):
           the yrange::
 
             >>> axvline(x=.5, ymin=0.25, ymax=0.75)
-
-        See also
-        --------
-        vlines : Add vertical lines in data coordinates.
-        axvspan : Add a vertical span (rectangle) across the axis.
-        axline : Add a line with an abritrary slope.
         """
 
         if "transform" in kwargs:
@@ -929,16 +929,16 @@ def axline(self, xy1, xy2, **kwargs):
 
             %(_Line2D_docstr)s
 
+        See Also
+        --------
+        axhline : for horizontal lines
+        axvline : for vertical lines
+
         Examples
         --------
         Draw a thick red line passing through (0, 0) and (1, 1)::
 
             >>> axline((0, 0), (1, 1), linewidth=4, color='r')
-
-        See Also
-        --------
-        axhline : for horizontal lines
-        axvline : for vertical lines
         """
 
         if "transform" in kwargs:
@@ -984,7 +984,7 @@ def axhspan(self, ymin, ymax, xmin=0, xmax=1, **kwargs):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        rectangle : `~matplotlib.patches.Polygon`
+        `~matplotlib.patches.Polygon`
             Horizontal span (rectangle) from (xmin, ymin) to (xmax, ymax).
 
         Other Parameters
@@ -1036,7 +1036,7 @@ def axvspan(self, xmin, xmax, ymin=0, ymax=1, **kwargs):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        rectangle : `~matplotlib.patches.Polygon`
+        `~matplotlib.patches.Polygon`
             Vertical span (rectangle) from (xmin, ymin) to (xmax, ymax).
 
         Other Parameters
@@ -1097,13 +1097,13 @@ def hlines(self, y, xmin, xmax, colors='k', linestyles='solid',
 
         Returns
         -------
-        lines : `~matplotlib.collections.LineCollection`
+        `~matplotlib.collections.LineCollection`
 
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
         **kwargs :  `~matplotlib.collections.LineCollection` properties.
 
-        See also
+        See Also
         --------
         vlines : vertical lines
         axhline: horizontal line across the axes
@@ -1175,13 +1175,13 @@ def vlines(self, x, ymin, ymax, colors='k', linestyles='solid',
 
         Returns
         -------
-        lines : `~matplotlib.collections.LineCollection`
+        `~matplotlib.collections.LineCollection`
 
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
         **kwargs : `~matplotlib.collections.LineCollection` properties.
 
-        See also
+        See Also
         --------
         hlines : horizontal lines
         axvline: vertical line across the axes
@@ -1311,7 +1311,7 @@ def eventplot(self, positions, orientation='horizontal', lineoffsets=1,
 
         Returns
         -------
-        list : list of `.EventCollection`
+        list of `.EventCollection`
             The `.EventCollection` that were added.
 
         Notes
@@ -1572,6 +1572,11 @@ def plot(self, *args, scalex=True, scaley=True, data=None, **kwargs):
                 You may suppress the warning by adding an empty format string
                 ``plot('n', 'o', '', data=obj)``.
 
+        Returns
+        -------
+        list of `.Line2D`
+            A list of lines representing the plotted data.
+
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
         scalex, scaley : bool, default: True
@@ -1593,11 +1598,6 @@ def plot(self, *args, scalex=True, scaley=True, data=None, **kwargs):
 
             %(_Line2D_docstr)s
 
-        Returns
-        -------
-        lines
-            A list of `.Line2D` objects representing the plotted data.
-
         See Also
         --------
         scatter : XY scatter plot with markers of varying size and/or color (
@@ -2257,7 +2257,7 @@ def bar(self, x, height, width=0.8, bottom=None, *, align="center",
 
         Returns
         -------
-        container : `.BarContainer`
+        `.BarContainer`
             Container with all the bars and optionally errorbars.
 
         Other Parameters
@@ -2309,7 +2309,7 @@ def bar(self, x, height, width=0.8, bottom=None, *, align="center",
             *This is for internal use only.* Please use `barh` for
             horizontal bar plots. Default: 'vertical'.
 
-        See also
+        See Also
         --------
         barh: Plot a horizontal bar plot.
 
@@ -2530,7 +2530,7 @@ def barh(self, y, width, height=0.8, left=None, *, align="center",
 
         Returns
         -------
-        container : `.BarContainer`
+        `.BarContainer`
             Container with all the bars and optionally errorbars.
 
         Other Parameters
@@ -2578,7 +2578,7 @@ def barh(self, y, width, height=0.8, left=None, *, align="center",
         log : bool, default: False
             If ``True``, set the x-axis to be log scale.
 
-        See also
+        See Also
         --------
         bar: Plot a vertical bar plot.
 
@@ -2623,6 +2623,10 @@ def broken_barh(self, xranges, yrange, **kwargs):
         yrange : (*ymin*, *yheight*)
             The y-position and extend for all the rectangles.
 
+        Returns
+        -------
+        `~.collections.BrokenBarHCollection`
+
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
         **kwargs : `.BrokenBarHCollection` properties
@@ -2641,10 +2645,6 @@ def broken_barh(self, xranges, yrange, **kwargs):
             Supported keywords:
 
             %(BrokenBarHCollection)s
-
-        Returns
-        -------
-        collection : `~.collections.BrokenBarHCollection`
         """
         # process the unit information
         if len(xranges):
@@ -2744,7 +2744,7 @@ def stem(self, *args, linefmt=None, markerfmt=None, basefmt=None, bottom=0,
 
         Returns
         -------
-        container : `.StemContainer`
+        `.StemContainer`
             The container may be treated like a tuple
             (*markerline*, *stemlines*, *baseline*)
 
@@ -3164,7 +3164,7 @@ def errorbar(self, x, y, yerr=None, xerr=None,
 
         Returns
         -------
-        container : `.ErrorbarContainer`
+        `.ErrorbarContainer`
             The container contains:
 
             - plotline: `.Line2D` instance of x, y plot markers and/or line.
@@ -3601,32 +3601,9 @@ def boxplot(self, x, notch=None, sym=None, vert=None, whis=None,
         zorder : scalar, default: None
             Sets the zorder of the boxplot.
 
-        Other Parameters
-        ----------------
-        showcaps : bool, default: True
-            Show the caps on the ends of whiskers.
-        showbox : bool, default: True
-            Show the central box.
-        showfliers : bool, default: True
-            Show the outliers beyond the caps.
-        showmeans : bool, default: False
-            Show the arithmetic means.
-        capprops : dict, default: None
-            The style of the caps.
-        boxprops : dict, default: None
-            The style of the box.
-        whiskerprops : dict, default: None
-            The style of the whiskers.
-        flierprops : dict, default: None
-            The style of the fliers.
-        medianprops : dict, default: None
-            The style of the median.
-        meanprops : dict, default: None
-            The style of the mean.
-
         Returns
         -------
-        result : dict
+        dict
           A dictionary mapping each component of the boxplot to a list
           of the `.Line2D` instances created. That dictionary has the
           following keys (assuming vertical boxplots):
@@ -3648,6 +3625,29 @@ def boxplot(self, x, notch=None, sym=None, vert=None, whis=None,
 
           - ``means``: points or lines representing the means.
 
+        Other Parameters
+        ----------------
+        showcaps : bool, default: True
+            Show the caps on the ends of whiskers.
+        showbox : bool, default: True
+            Show the central box.
+        showfliers : bool, default: True
+            Show the outliers beyond the caps.
+        showmeans : bool, default: False
+            Show the arithmetic means.
+        capprops : dict, default: None
+            The style of the caps.
+        boxprops : dict, default: None
+            The style of the box.
+        whiskerprops : dict, default: None
+            The style of the whiskers.
+        flierprops : dict, default: None
+            The style of the fliers.
+        medianprops : dict, default: None
+            The style of the median.
+        meanprops : dict, default: None
+            The style of the mean.
+
         """
 
         # Missing arguments default to rcParams.
@@ -3879,7 +3879,7 @@ def bxp(self, bxpstats, positions=None, widths=None, vert=True,
 
         Returns
         -------
-        result : dict
+        dict
           A dictionary mapping each component of the boxplot to a list
           of the `.Line2D` instances created. That dictionary has the
           following keys (assuming vertical boxplots):
@@ -4364,7 +4364,7 @@ def scatter(self, x, y, s=None, c=None, marker=None, cmap=None, norm=None,
 
         Returns
         -------
-        paths : `~matplotlib.collections.PathCollection`
+        `~matplotlib.collections.PathCollection`
 
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
@@ -4550,6 +4550,20 @@ def hexbin(self, x, y, C=None, gridsize=100, bins=None,
 
             Order of scalars is (left, right, bottom, top).
 
+        Returns
+        -------
+        `~matplotlib.collections.PolyCollection`
+            A `.PolyCollection` defining the hexagonal bins.
+
+            - `.PolyCollection.get_offset` contains a Mx2 array containing
+              the x, y positions of the M hexagon centers.
+            - `.PolyCollection.get_array` contains the values of the M
+              hexagons.
+
+            If *marginals* is *True*, horizontal
+            bar and vertical bar (both PolyCollections) will be attached
+            to the return collection as attributes *hbar* and *vbar*.
+
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
         cmap : str or `~matplotlib.colors.Colormap`, default: :rc:`image.cmap`
@@ -4600,20 +4614,6 @@ def reduce_C_function(C: array) -> float
 
             %(PolyCollection)s
 
-        Returns
-        -------
-        polycollection : `~matplotlib.collections.PolyCollection`
-            A `.PolyCollection` defining the hexagonal bins.
-
-            - `.PolyCollection.get_offset` contains a Mx2 array containing
-              the x, y positions of the M hexagon centers.
-            - `.PolyCollection.get_array` contains the values of the M
-              hexagons.
-
-            If *marginals* is *True*, horizontal
-            bar and vertical bar (both PolyCollections) will be attached
-            to the return collection as attributes *hbar* and *vbar*.
-
         """
         self._process_unit_info(xdata=x, ydata=y, kwargs=kwargs)
 
@@ -4929,7 +4929,7 @@ def arrow(self, x, y, dx, dy, **kwargs):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        arrow : `.FancyArrow`
+        `.FancyArrow`
             The created `.FancyArrow` object.
 
         Notes
@@ -5119,6 +5119,11 @@ def _fill_between_x_or_y(
               value ``y[i]``.
             - 'mid': Steps occur half-way between the *x* positions.
 
+        Returns
+        -------
+        `.PolyCollection`
+            A `.PolyCollection` containing the plotted polygons.
+
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
         **kwargs
@@ -5127,11 +5132,6 @@ def _fill_between_x_or_y(
 
             %(PolyCollection)s
 
-        Returns
-        -------
-        `.PolyCollection`
-            A `.PolyCollection` containing the plotted polygons.
-
         See Also
         --------
         fill_between : Fill between two sets of y-values.
@@ -5432,7 +5432,7 @@ def imshow(self, X, cmap=None, norm=None, aspect=None,
 
         Returns
         -------
-        image : `~matplotlib.image.AxesImage`
+        `~matplotlib.image.AxesImage`
 
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
@@ -5440,7 +5440,7 @@ def imshow(self, X, cmap=None, norm=None, aspect=None,
             These parameters are passed on to the constructor of the
             `.AxesImage` artist.
 
-        See also
+        See Also
         --------
         matshow : Plot a matrix or an array as an image.
 
@@ -5698,7 +5698,7 @@ def pcolor(self, *args, shading=None, alpha=None, norm=None, cmap=None,
 
         Returns
         -------
-        collection : `matplotlib.collections.Collection`
+        `matplotlib.collections.Collection`
 
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
@@ -5951,7 +5951,7 @@ def pcolormesh(self, *args, alpha=None, norm=None, cmap=None, vmin=None,
 
         Returns
         -------
-        mesh : `matplotlib.collections.QuadMesh`
+        `matplotlib.collections.QuadMesh`
 
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
@@ -6164,7 +6164,7 @@ def pcolorfast(self, *args, alpha=None, norm=None, cmap=None, vmin=None,
 
         Returns
         -------
-        image : `.AxesImage` or `.PcolorImage` or `.QuadMesh`
+        `.AxesImage` or `.PcolorImage` or `.QuadMesh`
             The return type depends on the type of grid:
 
             - `.AxesImage` for a regular rectangular grid.
@@ -6471,7 +6471,7 @@ def hist(self, x, bins=None, range=None, density=False, weights=None,
         **kwargs
             `~matplotlib.patches.Patch` properties
 
-        See also
+        See Also
         --------
         hist2d : 2D histograms
 
@@ -6832,7 +6832,7 @@ def hist2d(self, x, y, bins=10, range=None, density=False, weights=None,
             `~.Axes.pcolormesh` method and `~matplotlib.collections.QuadMesh`
             constructor.
 
-        See also
+        See Also
         --------
         hist : 1D histogram plotting
 
@@ -7554,7 +7554,7 @@ def spy(self, Z, precision=0, marker=None, markersize=None,
 
         Returns
         -------
-        ret : `~matplotlib.image.AxesImage` or `.Line2D`
+        `~matplotlib.image.AxesImage` or `.Line2D`
             The return type depends on the plotting style (see above).
 
         Other Parameters
@@ -7648,7 +7648,7 @@ def matshow(self, Z, **kwargs):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        image : `~matplotlib.image.AxesImage`
+        `~matplotlib.image.AxesImage`
 
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
@@ -7742,7 +7742,7 @@ def violinplot(self, dataset, positions=None, vert=True, widths=0.5,
 
         Returns
         -------
-        result : dict
+        dict
           A dictionary mapping each component of the violinplot to a
           list of the corresponding collection instances created. The
           dictionary has the following keys:
@@ -7842,7 +7842,7 @@ def violin(self, vpstats, positions=None, vert=True, widths=0.5,
 
         Returns
         -------
-        result : dict
+        dict
           A dictionary mapping each component of the violinplot to a
           list of the corresponding collection instances created. The
           dictionary has the following keys:
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
index 109e2a5b1c03..9e61fdb1a45c 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ def __init__(self, fig, rect,
 
         Returns
         -------
-        axes : `~.axes.Axes`
+        `~.axes.Axes`
             The new `~.axes.Axes` object.
         """
 
@@ -829,7 +829,7 @@ def get_position(self, original=False):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        pos : `.Bbox`
+        `.Bbox`
 
         """
         if original:
@@ -1175,6 +1175,13 @@ def set_prop_cycle(self, *args, **kwargs):
             Finite-length iterable of the property values. These values
             are validated and will raise a ValueError if invalid.
 
+        See Also
+        --------
+        matplotlib.rcsetup.cycler
+            Convenience function for creating validated cyclers for properties.
+        cycler.cycler
+            The original function for creating unvalidated cyclers.
+
         Examples
         --------
         Setting the property cycle for a single property:
@@ -1187,13 +1194,6 @@ def set_prop_cycle(self, *args, **kwargs):
         >>> ax.set_prop_cycle(color=['red', 'green', 'blue'],
         ...                   marker=['o', '+', 'x'])
 
-        See Also
-        --------
-        matplotlib.rcsetup.cycler
-            Convenience function for creating validated cyclers for properties.
-        cycler.cycler
-            The original function for creating unvalidated cyclers.
-
         """
         if args and kwargs:
             raise TypeError("Cannot supply both positional and keyword "
@@ -1673,7 +1673,7 @@ def axis(self, *args, emit=True, **kwargs):
         xmin, xmax, ymin, ymax : float
             The axis limits.
 
-        See also
+        See Also
         --------
         matplotlib.axes.Axes.set_xlim
         matplotlib.axes.Axes.set_ylim
@@ -2759,7 +2759,7 @@ def get_axisbelow(self):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        axisbelow : bool or 'line'
+        bool or 'line'
 
         See Also
         --------
@@ -3388,7 +3388,7 @@ def get_xmajorticklabels(self):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        labels : list
+        list
             List of `~matplotlib.text.Text` instances
         """
         return self.xaxis.get_majorticklabels()
@@ -3399,7 +3399,7 @@ def get_xminorticklabels(self):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        labels : list
+        list
             List of `~matplotlib.text.Text` instances
         """
         return self.xaxis.get_minorticklabels()
@@ -3421,7 +3421,7 @@ def get_xticklabels(self, minor=False, which=None):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        ret : list
+        list
            List of `~matplotlib.text.Text` instances.
 
         Notes
@@ -3461,11 +3461,11 @@ def set_xticklabels(self, labels, fontdict=None, minor=False, **kwargs):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        labels : list of `~.Text`
+        list of `~.Text`
             The labels.
 
         Other Parameters
-        -----------------
+        ----------------
         **kwargs : `~.text.Text` properties.
         """
         if fontdict is not None:
@@ -3781,7 +3781,7 @@ def get_ymajorticklabels(self):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        labels : list
+        list
             List of `~matplotlib.text.Text` instances
         """
         return self.yaxis.get_majorticklabels()
@@ -3792,7 +3792,7 @@ def get_yminorticklabels(self):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        labels : list
+        list
             List of `~matplotlib.text.Text` instances
         """
         return self.yaxis.get_minorticklabels()
@@ -3814,7 +3814,7 @@ def get_yticklabels(self, minor=False, which=None):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        ret : list
+        list
            List of `~matplotlib.text.Text` instances.
 
         Notes
@@ -4376,8 +4376,8 @@ def get_tightbbox(self, renderer, call_axes_locator=True,
 
         Returns
         -------
-        bbox : `.BboxBase`
-            bounding box in figure pixel coordinates.
+        `.BboxBase`
+            Bounding box in figure pixel coordinates.
 
         See Also
         --------
@@ -4464,7 +4464,7 @@ def twinx(self):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        ax_twin : Axes
+        Axes
             The newly created Axes instance
 
         Notes
@@ -4494,7 +4494,7 @@ def twiny(self):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        ax_twin : Axes
+        Axes
             The newly created Axes instance
 
         Notes
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_secondary_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_secondary_axes.py
index 1a5f751efe11..2c4d9a15771a 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_secondary_axes.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_secondary_axes.py
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ def set_xlabel(self, xlabel, fontdict=None, labelpad=None, **kwargs):
         **kwargs : `.Text` properties
             `.Text` properties control the appearance of the label.
 
-        See also
+        See Also
         --------
         text : Documents the properties supported by `.Text`.
         """
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ def set_ylabel(self, ylabel, fontdict=None, labelpad=None, **kwargs):
         **kwargs : `.Text` properties
             `.Text` properties control the appearance of the label.
 
-        See also
+        See Also
         --------
         text : Documents the properties supported by `.Text`.
         """
@@ -374,14 +374,13 @@ def set_color(self, color):
     See :doc:`/gallery/subplots_axes_and_figures/secondary_axis`
     for examples of making these conversions.
 
+Returns
+-------
+ax : axes._secondary_axes.SecondaryAxis
 
 Other Parameters
 ----------------
 **kwargs : `~matplotlib.axes.Axes` properties.
     Other miscellaneous axes parameters.
-
-Returns
--------
-ax : axes._secondary_axes.SecondaryAxis
 '''
 docstring.interpd.update(_secax_docstring=_secax_docstring)
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
index ca1b3c5d762a..7eadc8c2cc29 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
@@ -1211,7 +1211,7 @@ def get_ticklabels(self, minor=False, which=None):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        ret : list
+        list
            List of `~matplotlib.text.Text` instances.
         """
 
@@ -1626,7 +1626,7 @@ def set_ticklabels(self, ticklabels, *args, minor=False, **kwargs):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        labels : list of `.Text`\s
+        list of `.Text`\s
             For each tick, includes ``tick.label1`` if it is visible, then
             ``tick.label2`` if it is visible, in that order.
         """
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
index 18a750c9f46d..1b6891545f2e 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
@@ -986,7 +986,7 @@ def get_sketch_params(self):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        sketch_params : tuple or `None`
+        tuple or `None`
 
             A 3-tuple with the following elements:
 
@@ -1850,7 +1850,7 @@ def inaxes(self, xy):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        axes : `~matplotlib.axes.Axes` or None
+        `~matplotlib.axes.Axes` or None
             The topmost visible axes containing the point, or None if no axes.
         """
         axes_list = [a for a in self.figure.get_axes()
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backend_managers.py b/lib/matplotlib/backend_managers.py
index 1ec8fdf8b0dd..fbaed053a9fe 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backend_managers.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backend_managers.py
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ def get_tool(self, name, warn=True):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        tool : `.ToolBase` or None
+        `.ToolBase` or None
             The tool or None if no tool with the given name exists.
         """
         if isinstance(name, tools.ToolBase) and name.name in self._tools:
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/category.py b/lib/matplotlib/category.py
index a897dc4e85fc..b8e7ea233ac9 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/category.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/category.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ def convert(value, unit, axis):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        mapped_value : float or ndarray[float]
+        float or ndarray[float]
         """
         if unit is None:
             raise ValueError(
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ def axisinfo(unit, axis):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        axisinfo : `~matplotlib.units.AxisInfo`
+        `~matplotlib.units.AxisInfo`
             Information to support default tick labeling
 
         .. note: axis is not used
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ def default_units(data, axis):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        class : `.UnitData`
+        `.UnitData`
             object storing string to integer mapping
         """
         # the conversion call stack is default_units -> axis_info -> convert
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/cbook/__init__.py b/lib/matplotlib/cbook/__init__.py
index c51681835645..59139c30f4b1 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/cbook/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/cbook/__init__.py
@@ -101,7 +101,8 @@ def __hash__(self):
 
 
 class CallbackRegistry:
-    """Handle registering and disconnecting for a set of signals and callbacks:
+    """
+    Handle registering and disconnecting for a set of signals and callbacks:
 
         >>> def oneat(x):
         ...    print('eat', x)
@@ -303,7 +304,7 @@ def local_over_kwdict(local_var, kwargs, *keys):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    out : any object
+    any object
         Either local_var or one of kwargs[key] for key in keys.
 
     Raises
@@ -1137,7 +1138,7 @@ def boxplot_stats(X, whis=1.5, bootstrap=None, labels=None,
 
     Returns
     -------
-    bxpstats : list of dict
+    list of dict
         A list of dictionaries containing the results for each column
         of data. Keys of each dictionary are the following:
 
@@ -1461,7 +1462,7 @@ def violin_stats(X, method, points=100, quantiles=None):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    vpstats : list of dict
+    list of dict
         A list of dictionaries containing the results for each column of data.
         The dictionaries contain at least the following:
 
@@ -1540,7 +1541,7 @@ def pts_to_prestep(x, *args):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    out : array
+    array
         The x and y values converted to steps in the same order as the input;
         can be unpacked as ``x_out, y1_out, ..., yp_out``.  If the input is
         length ``N``, each of these arrays will be length ``2N + 1``. For
@@ -1578,7 +1579,7 @@ def pts_to_poststep(x, *args):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    out : array
+    array
         The x and y values converted to steps in the same order as the input;
         can be unpacked as ``x_out, y1_out, ..., yp_out``.  If the input is
         length ``N``, each of these arrays will be length ``2N + 1``. For
@@ -1615,7 +1616,7 @@ def pts_to_midstep(x, *args):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    out : array
+    array
         The x and y values converted to steps in the same order as the input;
         can be unpacked as ``x_out, y1_out, ..., yp_out``.  If the input is
         length ``N``, each of these arrays will be length ``2N``.
@@ -1869,7 +1870,8 @@ def _lock_path(path):
 def _topmost_artist(
         artists,
         _cached_max=functools.partial(max, key=operator.attrgetter("zorder"))):
-    """Get the topmost artist of a list.
+    """
+    Get the topmost artist of a list.
 
     In case of a tie, return the *last* of the tied artists, as it will be
     drawn on top of the others. `max` returns the first maximum in case of
@@ -1879,7 +1881,8 @@ def _topmost_artist(
 
 
 def _str_equal(obj, s):
-    """Return whether *obj* is a string equal to string *s*.
+    """
+    Return whether *obj* is a string equal to string *s*.
 
     This helper solely exists to handle the case where *obj* is a numpy array,
     because in such cases, a naive ``obj == s`` would yield an array, which
@@ -1889,7 +1892,8 @@ def _str_equal(obj, s):
 
 
 def _str_lower_equal(obj, s):
-    """Return whether *obj* is a string equal, when lowercased, to string *s*.
+    """
+    Return whether *obj* is a string equal, when lowercased, to string *s*.
 
     This helper solely exists to handle the case where *obj* is a numpy array,
     because in such cases, a naive ``obj == s`` would yield an array, which
@@ -1899,7 +1903,8 @@ def _str_lower_equal(obj, s):
 
 
 def _define_aliases(alias_d, cls=None):
-    """Class decorator for defining property aliases.
+    """
+    Class decorator for defining property aliases.
 
     Use as ::
 
@@ -1954,16 +1959,16 @@ def get_aliased_and_aliases(d):
 
 def _array_perimeter(arr):
     """
-    Get the elements on the perimeter of ``arr``,
+    Get the elements on the perimeter of *arr*.
 
     Parameters
     ----------
     arr : ndarray, shape (M, N)
-        The input array
+        The input array.
 
     Returns
     -------
-    perimeter : ndarray, shape (2*(M - 1) + 2*(N - 1),)
+    ndarray, shape (2*(M - 1) + 2*(N - 1),)
         The elements on the perimeter of the array::
 
            [arr[0, 0], ..., arr[0, -1], ..., arr[-1, -1], ..., arr[-1, 0], ...]
@@ -2010,7 +2015,7 @@ def _unfold(arr, axis, size, step):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    windows : ndarray, shape (N_1, ..., 1 + (N_axis-size)/step, ..., N_k, size)
+    ndarray, shape (N_1, ..., 1 + (N_axis-size)/step, ..., N_k, size)
 
     Examples
     --------
@@ -2062,7 +2067,7 @@ def _array_patch_perimeters(x, rstride, cstride):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    patches : ndarray, shape (N/rstride * M/cstride, 2 * (rstride + cstride))
+    ndarray, shape (N/rstride * M/cstride, 2 * (rstride + cstride))
     """
     assert rstride > 0 and cstride > 0
     assert (x.shape[0] - 1) % rstride == 0
@@ -2094,7 +2099,8 @@ def _array_patch_perimeters(x, rstride, cstride):
 
 @contextlib.contextmanager
 def _setattr_cm(obj, **kwargs):
-    """Temporarily set some attributes; restore original state at context exit.
+    """
+    Temporarily set some attributes; restore original state at context exit.
     """
     sentinel = object()
     origs = [(attr, getattr(obj, attr, sentinel)) for attr in kwargs]
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/cm.py b/lib/matplotlib/cm.py
index 415f3c110797..fc5dacbf7cb8 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/cm.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/cm.py
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ def get_alpha(self):
         """
         Returns
         -------
-        alpha : float
+        float
             Always returns 1.
         """
         # This method is intended to be overridden by Artist sub-classes
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/collections.py b/lib/matplotlib/collections.py
index 42a31bc1b10a..31673a771212 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/collections.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/collections.py
@@ -855,7 +855,7 @@ def get_sizes(self):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        sizes : array
+        array
             The 'area' of each element.
         """
         return self._sizes
@@ -1398,7 +1398,7 @@ def get_segments(self):
         """
         Returns
         -------
-        segments : list
+        list
             List of segments in the LineCollection. Each list item contains an
             array of vertices.
         """
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/colorbar.py b/lib/matplotlib/colorbar.py
index e2cc6cbd2151..df8269e2784f 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/colorbar.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/colorbar.py
@@ -1703,7 +1703,7 @@ def colorbar_factory(cax, mappable, **kwargs):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    colorbar : `.Colorbar` or `.ColorbarPatch`
+    `.Colorbar` or `.ColorbarPatch`
         The created colorbar instance. `.ColorbarPatch` is only used if
         *mappable* is a `.ContourSet` with hatches.
     """
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/colors.py b/lib/matplotlib/colors.py
index 3ce45882b34c..817ad25c8af5 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/colors.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/colors.py
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ def _create_lookup_table(N, data, gamma=1.0):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    lut : array
+    array
         The lookup table where ``lut[x * (N-1)]`` gives the closest value
         for values of x between 0 and 1.
 
@@ -1478,7 +1478,7 @@ def rgb_to_hsv(arr):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    hsv : (..., 3) ndarray
+    (..., 3) ndarray
        Colors converted to hsv values in range [0, 1]
     """
     arr = np.asarray(arr)
@@ -1529,7 +1529,7 @@ def hsv_to_rgb(hsv):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    rgb : (..., 3) ndarray
+    (..., 3) ndarray
        Colors converted to RGB values in range [0, 1]
     """
     hsv = np.asarray(hsv)
@@ -1697,7 +1697,7 @@ def hillshade(self, elevation, vert_exag=1, dx=1, dy=1, fraction=1.):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        intensity : ndarray
+        ndarray
             A 2d array of illumination values between 0-1, where 0 is
             completely in shadow and 1 is completely illuminated.
         """
@@ -1740,7 +1740,7 @@ def shade_normals(self, normals, fraction=1.):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        intensity : ndarray
+        ndarray
             A 2d array of illumination values between 0-1, where 0 is
             completely in shadow and 1 is completely illuminated.
         """
@@ -1823,7 +1823,7 @@ def shade(self, data, cmap, norm=None, blend_mode='overlay', vmin=None,
 
         Returns
         -------
-        rgba : ndarray
+        ndarray
             An MxNx4 array of floats ranging between 0-1.
         """
         if vmin is None:
@@ -1884,7 +1884,7 @@ def shade_rgb(self, rgb, elevation, fraction=1., blend_mode='hsv',
 
         Returns
         -------
-        shaded_rgb : ndarray
+        ndarray
             An (m, n, 3) array of floats ranging between 0-1.
         """
         # Calculate the "hillshade" intensity.
@@ -1950,7 +1950,7 @@ def blend_hsv(self, rgb, intensity, hsv_max_sat=None, hsv_max_val=None,
 
         Returns
         -------
-        rgb : ndarray
+        ndarray
             An MxNx3 RGB array representing the combined images.
         """
         # Backward compatibility...
@@ -2000,7 +2000,7 @@ def blend_soft_light(self, rgb, intensity):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        rgb : ndarray
+        ndarray
             An MxNx3 RGB array representing the combined images.
         """
         return 2 * intensity * rgb + (1 - 2 * intensity) * rgb**2
@@ -2018,7 +2018,7 @@ def blend_overlay(self, rgb, intensity):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        rgb : ndarray
+        ndarray
             An MxNx3 RGB array representing the combined images.
         """
         low = 2 * intensity * rgb
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/contour.py b/lib/matplotlib/contour.py
index 59e984db2d0d..3f081e366c0c 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/contour.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/contour.py
@@ -1622,7 +1622,7 @@ def _initialize_x_y(self, z):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        c : `~.contour.QuadContourSet`
+        `~.contour.QuadContourSet`
 
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/dates.py b/lib/matplotlib/dates.py
index 42203f1982d0..d6c8316effdf 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/dates.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/dates.py
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ def drange(dstart, dend, delta):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    drange : `numpy.array`
+    `numpy.array`
         A list floats representing Matplotlib dates.
 
     """
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/dviread.py b/lib/matplotlib/dviread.py
index ecdeb32ed837..ba973c23a77e 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/dviread.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/dviread.py
@@ -985,7 +985,7 @@ def _parse_enc(path):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    encoding : list
+    list
         The nth entry of the list is the PostScript glyph name of the nth
         glyph.
     """
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/figure.py b/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
index 313f5d2be4c6..93edcb57c625 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
@@ -890,7 +890,7 @@ def get_size_inches(self):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        size : ndarray
+        ndarray
            The size (width, height) of the figure in inches.
 
         See Also
@@ -1032,7 +1032,8 @@ def add_artist(self, artist, clip=False):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        artist : The added `~matplotlib.artist.Artist`
+        `~matplotlib.artist.Artist`
+            The added artist.
         """
         artist.set_figure(self)
         self.artists.append(artist)
@@ -1142,6 +1143,14 @@ def add_axes(self, *args, **kwargs):
         label : str
             A label for the returned axes.
 
+        Returns
+        -------
+        `~.axes.Axes` (or a subclass of `~.axes.Axes`)
+            The returned axes class depends on the projection used. It is
+            `~.axes.Axes` if rectilinear projection are used and
+            `.projections.polar.PolarAxes` if polar projection
+            are used.
+
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
         **kwargs
@@ -1154,14 +1163,6 @@ def add_axes(self, *args, **kwargs):
 
             %(Axes)s
 
-        Returns
-        -------
-        axes : `~.axes.Axes` (or a subclass of `~.axes.Axes`)
-            The returned axes class depends on the projection used. It is
-            `~.axes.Axes` if rectilinear projection are used and
-            `.projections.polar.PolarAxes` if polar projection
-            are used.
-
         Notes
         -----
         If the figure already has an axes with key (*args*,
@@ -1290,6 +1291,16 @@ def add_subplot(self, *args, **kwargs):
         label : str
             A label for the returned axes.
 
+        Returns
+        -------
+        `.axes.SubplotBase`, or another subclass of `~.axes.Axes`
+
+            The axes of the subplot. The returned axes base class depends on
+            the projection used. It is `~.axes.Axes` if rectilinear projection
+            are used and `.projections.polar.PolarAxes` if polar projection
+            are used. The returned axes is then a subplot subclass of the
+            base class.
+
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
         **kwargs
@@ -1301,16 +1312,6 @@ def add_subplot(self, *args, **kwargs):
 
             %(Axes)s
 
-        Returns
-        -------
-        axes : `.axes.SubplotBase`, or another subclass of `~.axes.Axes`
-
-            The axes of the subplot. The returned axes base class depends on
-            the projection used. It is `~.axes.Axes` if rectilinear projection
-            are used and `.projections.polar.PolarAxes` if polar projection
-            are used. The returned axes is then a subplot subclass of the
-            base class.
-
         Notes
         -----
         If the figure already has a subplot with key (*args*,
@@ -1473,11 +1474,17 @@ def subplots(self, nrows=1, ncols=1, sharex=False, sharey=False,
 
         Returns
         -------
-        ax : `~.axes.Axes` or array of Axes
-            *ax* can be either a single `~matplotlib.axes.Axes` object or
-            an array of Axes objects if more than one subplot was created. The
-            dimensions of the resulting array can be controlled with the
-            squeeze keyword, see above.
+        `~.axes.Axes` or array of Axes
+            Either a single `~matplotlib.axes.Axes` object or an array of Axes
+            objects if more than one subplot was created. The dimensions of the
+            resulting array can be controlled with the *squeeze* keyword, see
+            above.
+
+        See Also
+        --------
+        .pyplot.subplots
+        .Figure.add_subplot
+        .pyplot.subplot
 
         Examples
         --------
@@ -1517,12 +1524,6 @@ def subplots(self, nrows=1, ncols=1, sharex=False, sharey=False,
 
             # Note that this is the same as
             fig.subplots(2, 2, sharex=True, sharey=True)
-
-        See Also
-        --------
-        .pyplot.subplots
-        .Figure.add_subplot
-        .pyplot.subplot
         """
 
         if isinstance(sharex, bool):
@@ -1788,14 +1789,14 @@ def legend(self, *args, **kwargs):
             is shown in the legend and the automatic mechanism described above
             is not sufficient.
 
-        Other Parameters
-        ----------------
-        %(_legend_kw_doc)s
-
         Returns
         -------
         `~matplotlib.legend.Legend`
 
+        Other Parameters
+        ----------------
+        %(_legend_kw_doc)s
+
         Notes
         -----
         Some artists are not supported by this function.  See
@@ -1843,6 +1844,10 @@ def text(self, x, y, s, fontdict=None, **kwargs):
             the defaults are determined by :rc:`font.*`. Properties passed as
             *kwargs* override the corresponding ones given in *fontdict*.
 
+        Returns
+        -------
+        `~.text.Text`
+
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
         **kwargs : `~matplotlib.text.Text` properties
@@ -1850,10 +1855,6 @@ def text(self, x, y, s, fontdict=None, **kwargs):
 
             %(Text)s
 
-        Returns
-        -------
-        text : `~.text.Text`
-
         See Also
         --------
         .Axes.text
@@ -2286,7 +2287,7 @@ def ginput(self, n=1, timeout=30, show_clicks=True,
 
         Returns
         -------
-        points : list of tuples
+        list of tuples
             A list of the clicked (x, y) coordinates.
 
         Notes
@@ -2343,7 +2344,7 @@ def get_tightbbox(self, renderer, bbox_extra_artists=None):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        bbox : `.BboxBase`
+        `.BboxBase`
             containing the bounding box (in figure inches).
         """
 
@@ -2641,7 +2642,7 @@ def add_gridspec(self, nrows, ncols, **kwargs):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        gridspec : `.GridSpec`
+        `.GridSpec`
 
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/font_manager.py b/lib/matplotlib/font_manager.py
index 66e6b4597bae..0b36677e4daa 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/font_manager.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/font_manager.py
@@ -255,8 +255,7 @@ def win32InstalledFonts(directory=None, fontext='ttf'):
 
 @lru_cache()
 def _call_fc_list():
-    """Cache and list the font filenames known to `fc-list`.
-    """
+    """Cache and list the font filenames known to `fc-list`."""
     # Delay the warning by 5s.
     timer = Timer(5, lambda: _log.warning(
         'Matplotlib is building the font cache using fc-list. '
@@ -908,15 +907,15 @@ def json_dump(data, filename):
     """
     Dump `FontManager` *data* as JSON to the file named *filename*.
 
+    See Also
+    --------
+    json_load
+
     Notes
     -----
     File paths that are children of the Matplotlib data path (typically, fonts
     shipped with Matplotlib) are stored relative to that data path (to remain
     valid across virtualenvs).
-
-    See Also
-    --------
-    json_load
     """
     with open(filename, 'w') as fh:
         try:
@@ -1197,7 +1196,7 @@ def findfont(self, prop, fontext='ttf', directory=None,
 
         Returns
         -------
-        fontfile : str
+        str
             The filename of the best matching font.
 
         Notes
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/gridspec.py b/lib/matplotlib/gridspec.py
index 8ba8f15c0e03..dcfd576f18a0 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/gridspec.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/gridspec.py
@@ -692,7 +692,7 @@ def subgridspec(self, nrows, ncols, **kwargs):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        gridspec : `.GridSpecFromSubplotSpec`
+        `.GridSpecFromSubplotSpec`
 
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/image.py b/lib/matplotlib/image.py
index 913dbd21fbf8..e6e08354a439 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/image.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/image.py
@@ -1421,7 +1421,7 @@ def imread(fname, format=None):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    imagedata : :class:`numpy.array`
+    `numpy.array`
         The image data. The returned array has shape
 
         - (M, N) for grayscale images.
@@ -1656,7 +1656,7 @@ def thumbnail(infile, thumbfile, scale=0.1, interpolation='bilinear',
 
     Returns
     -------
-    figure : `~.figure.Figure`
+    `~.figure.Figure`
         The figure instance containing the thumbnail.
     """
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/legend.py b/lib/matplotlib/legend.py
index fb47147d152f..3e7ee14e25af 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/legend.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/legend.py
@@ -888,7 +888,8 @@ def get_tightbbox(self, renderer):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        `.BboxBase` : containing the bounding box in figure pixel coordinates.
+        `.BboxBase`
+            The bounding box in figure pixel coordinates.
         """
         return self._legend_box.get_window_extent(renderer)
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/mathtext.py b/lib/matplotlib/mathtext.py
index d205b119a3f1..9bde8df9a4cc 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/mathtext.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/mathtext.py
@@ -3440,7 +3440,7 @@ def to_png(self, filename, texstr, color='black', dpi=120, fontsize=14):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        depth : int
+        int
             Offset of the baseline from the bottom of the image, in pixels.
         """
         rgba, depth = self.to_rgba(
@@ -3459,7 +3459,7 @@ def get_depth(self, texstr, dpi=120, fontsize=14):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        depth : int
+        int
             Offset of the baseline from the bottom of the image, in pixels.
         """
         assert self._output == "bitmap"
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/mlab.py b/lib/matplotlib/mlab.py
index d14fe7024a2e..3852a0a36a9d 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/mlab.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/mlab.py
@@ -1076,7 +1076,7 @@ def evaluate(self, points):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        values : (# of points,)-array
+        (# of points,)-array
             The values at each point.
 
         Raises
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/patches.py b/lib/matplotlib/patches.py
index f504a9a4c64b..48ae3276cbaf 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/patches.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/patches.py
@@ -1009,7 +1009,7 @@ def get_path(self):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        path : Path
+        Path
            The `~.path.Path` object for the polygon.
         """
         return self._path
@@ -1020,7 +1020,7 @@ def get_closed(self):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        closed : bool
+        bool
             If the path is closed
         """
         return self._closed
@@ -1046,7 +1046,7 @@ def get_xy(self):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        vertices : (N, 2) numpy array
+        (N, 2) numpy array
             The coordinates of the vertices.
         """
         return self._path.vertices
@@ -1949,7 +1949,7 @@ def __call__(self, x0, y0, width, height, mutation_size,
 
             Returns
             -------
-            path : `~matplotlib.path.Path`
+            `~matplotlib.path.Path`
             """
             # The __call__ method is a thin wrapper around the transmute method
             # and takes care of the aspect.
@@ -3968,7 +3968,7 @@ def get_dpi_cor(self):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        dpi_cor : scalar
+        scalar
         """
         return self._dpi_cor
 
@@ -4094,7 +4094,7 @@ def get_mutation_scale(self):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        scale : scalar
+        scalar
         """
         return self._mutation_scale
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/path.py b/lib/matplotlib/path.py
index 7db416408e11..44392cc81af2 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/path.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/path.py
@@ -962,7 +962,7 @@ def get_path_collection_extents(
     master_transform : `~.Transform`
         Global transformation applied to all paths.
     paths : list of `Path`
-    transform : list of `~.Affine2D`
+    transforms : list of `~.Affine2D`
     offsets : (N, 2) array-like
     offset_transform : `~.Affine2D`
         Transform applied to the offsets before offsetting the path.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/projections/polar.py b/lib/matplotlib/projections/polar.py
index cf8b63c2a2ff..007308fb4933 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/projections/polar.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/projections/polar.py
@@ -1298,8 +1298,11 @@ def set_thetagrids(self, angles, labels=None, fmt=None, **kwargs):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        lines, labels : list of `.lines.Line2D`, list of `.text.Text`
-            *lines* are the theta gridlines and *labels* are the tick labels.
+        lines : list of `.lines.Line2D`
+            The theta gridlines.
+
+        labels : list of `.text.Text`
+            The tick labels.
 
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
@@ -1348,8 +1351,11 @@ def set_rgrids(self, radii, labels=None, angle=None, fmt=None,
 
         Returns
         -------
-        lines, labels : list of `.lines.Line2D`, list of `.text.Text`
-            *lines* are the radial gridlines and *labels* are the tick labels.
+        lines : list of `.lines.Line2D`
+            The radial gridlines.
+
+        labels : list of `.text.Text`
+            The tick labels.
 
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py b/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
index bce356516fdd..89b1c64971ee 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@ def figure(num=None,  # autoincrement if None, else integer from 1-N
 
     Returns
     -------
-    figure : `~matplotlib.figure.Figure`
+    `~matplotlib.figure.Figure`
         The `.Figure` instance returned will also be passed to
         new_figure_manager in the backends, which allows to hook custom
         `.Figure` classes into the pyplot interface. Additional kwargs will be
@@ -654,7 +654,7 @@ def get_current_fig_manager():
 
     Returns
     -------
-    manager : `.FigureManagerBase` or backend-dependent subclass thereof
+    `.FigureManagerBase` or backend-dependent subclass thereof
     """
     return gcf().canvas.manager
 
@@ -789,6 +789,14 @@ def axes(arg=None, **kwargs):
     label : str
         A label for the returned axes.
 
+    Returns
+    -------
+    `~.axes.Axes` (or a subclass of `~.axes.Axes`)
+        The returned axes class depends on the projection used. It is
+        `~.axes.Axes` if rectilinear projection are used and
+        `.projections.polar.PolarAxes` if polar projection
+        are used.
+
     Other Parameters
     ----------------
     **kwargs
@@ -801,14 +809,6 @@ def axes(arg=None, **kwargs):
 
         %(Axes)s
 
-    Returns
-    -------
-    axes : `~.axes.Axes` (or a subclass of `~.axes.Axes`)
-        The returned axes class depends on the projection used. It is
-        `~.axes.Axes` if rectilinear projection are used and
-        `.projections.polar.PolarAxes` if polar projection
-        are used.
-
     Notes
     -----
     If the figure already has a axes with key (*args*,
@@ -914,6 +914,17 @@ def subplot(*args, **kwargs):
     label : str
         A label for the returned axes.
 
+    Returns
+    -------
+    an `.axes.SubplotBase` subclass of `~.axes.Axes` (or a subclass of \
+`~.axes.Axes`)
+
+        The axes of the subplot. The returned axes base class depends on
+        the projection used. It is `~.axes.Axes` if rectilinear projection
+        are used and `.projections.polar.PolarAxes` if polar projection
+        are used. The returned axes is then a subplot subclass of the
+        base class.
+
     Other Parameters
     ----------------
     **kwargs
@@ -925,17 +936,6 @@ def subplot(*args, **kwargs):
 
         %(Axes)s
 
-    Returns
-    -------
-    axes : an `.axes.SubplotBase` subclass of `~.axes.Axes` (or a subclass \
-    of `~.axes.Axes`)
-
-        The axes of the subplot. The returned axes base class depends on
-        the projection used. It is `~.axes.Axes` if rectilinear projection
-        are used and `.projections.polar.PolarAxes` if polar projection
-        are used. The returned axes is then a subplot subclass of the
-        base class.
-
     Notes
     -----
     Creating a subplot will delete any pre-existing subplot that overlaps
@@ -1112,6 +1112,14 @@ def subplots(nrows=1, ncols=1, sharex=False, sharey=False, squeeze=True,
         because for the latter it's not clear if it refers to a single
         `~.axes.Axes` instance or a collection of these.
 
+    See Also
+    --------
+    .pyplot.figure
+    .pyplot.subplot
+    .pyplot.axes
+    .Figure.subplots
+    .Figure.add_subplot
+
     Examples
     --------
     ::
@@ -1152,14 +1160,6 @@ def subplots(nrows=1, ncols=1, sharex=False, sharey=False, squeeze=True,
         # and clears it if it already exists.
         fig, ax = plt.subplots(num=10, clear=True)
 
-    See Also
-    --------
-    .pyplot.figure
-    .pyplot.subplot
-    .pyplot.axes
-    .Figure.subplots
-    .Figure.add_subplot
-
     """
     fig = figure(**fig_kw)
     axs = fig.subplots(nrows=nrows, ncols=ncols, sharex=sharex, sharey=sharey,
@@ -1562,14 +1562,24 @@ def rgrids(*args, **kwargs):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    lines, labels : list of `.lines.Line2D`, list of `.text.Text`
-        *lines* are the radial gridlines and *labels* are the tick labels.
+    lines : list of `.lines.Line2D`
+        The radial gridlines.
+
+    labels : list of `.text.Text`
+        The tick labels.
 
     Other Parameters
     ----------------
     **kwargs
         *kwargs* are optional `~.Text` properties for the labels.
 
+    See Also
+    --------
+    .pyplot.thetagrids
+    .projections.polar.PolarAxes.set_rgrids
+    .Axis.get_gridlines
+    .Axis.get_ticklabels
+
     Examples
     --------
     ::
@@ -1579,13 +1589,6 @@ def rgrids(*args, **kwargs):
 
       # set the locations and labels of the radial gridlines
       lines, labels = rgrids( (0.25, 0.5, 1.0), ('Tom', 'Dick', 'Harry' ))
-
-    See Also
-    --------
-    .pyplot.thetagrids
-    .projections.polar.PolarAxes.set_rgrids
-    .Axis.get_gridlines
-    .Axis.get_ticklabels
     """
     ax = gca()
     if not isinstance(ax, PolarAxes):
@@ -1626,14 +1629,24 @@ def thetagrids(*args, **kwargs):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    lines, labels : list of `.lines.Line2D`, list of `.text.Text`
-        *lines* are the theta gridlines and *labels* are the tick labels.
+    lines : list of `.lines.Line2D`
+        The theta gridlines.
+
+    labels : list of `.text.Text`
+        The tick labels.
 
     Other Parameters
     ----------------
     **kwargs
         *kwargs* are optional `~.Text` properties for the labels.
 
+    See Also
+    --------
+    .pyplot.rgrids
+    .projections.polar.PolarAxes.set_thetagrids
+    .Axis.get_gridlines
+    .Axis.get_ticklabels
+
     Examples
     --------
     ::
@@ -1643,13 +1656,6 @@ def thetagrids(*args, **kwargs):
 
       # set the locations and labels of the angular gridlines
       lines, labels = thetagrids(range(45, 360, 90), ('NE', 'NW', 'SW', 'SE'))
-
-    See Also
-    --------
-    .pyplot.rgrids
-    .projections.polar.PolarAxes.set_thetagrids
-    .Axis.get_gridlines
-    .Axis.get_ticklabels
     """
     ax = gca()
     if not isinstance(ax, PolarAxes):
@@ -2080,7 +2086,7 @@ def matshow(A, fignum=None, **kwargs):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    image : `~matplotlib.image.AxesImage`
+    `~matplotlib.image.AxesImage`
 
     Other Parameters
     ----------------
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py b/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py
index f8459413bbeb..664cbfeaba9d 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py
@@ -618,7 +618,7 @@ def validate_markevery(s):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    s : None, int, float, slice, length-2 tuple of ints,
+    None, int, float, slice, length-2 tuple of ints,
         length-2 tuple of floats, list of ints
 
     """
@@ -847,7 +847,7 @@ def cycler(*args, **kwargs):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    cycler : Cycler
+    Cycler
         A new :class:`~cycler.Cycler` for the given properties.
 
     Examples
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/stackplot.py b/lib/matplotlib/stackplot.py
index bdcb505bf745..ce7770cb8e55 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/stackplot.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/stackplot.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ def stackplot(axes, x, *args,
 
     Returns
     -------
-    list : list of `.PolyCollection`
+    list of `.PolyCollection`
         A list of `.PolyCollection` instances, one for each element in the
         stacked area plot.
     """
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/streamplot.py b/lib/matplotlib/streamplot.py
index 0477ec00c227..b4f43dd00623 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/streamplot.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/streamplot.py
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ def streamplot(axes, x, y, u, v, density=1, linewidth=None, color=None,
 
     Returns
     -------
-    stream_container : StreamplotSet
+    StreamplotSet
         Container object with attributes
 
         - ``lines``: `.LineCollection` of streamlines
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/table.py b/lib/matplotlib/table.py
index f0c8c9c00eaa..a35fe8314d5c 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/table.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/table.py
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ def add_cell(self, row, col, *args, **kwargs):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        cell : `.CustomCell`
+        `.CustomCell`
             The created cell.
 
         """
@@ -726,17 +726,17 @@ def table(ax,
         The cell edges to be drawn with a line. See also
         `~.CustomCell.visible_edges`.
 
+    Returns
+    -------
+    `~matplotlib.table.Table`
+        The created table.
+
     Other Parameters
     ----------------
     **kwargs
         `.Table` properties.
 
     %(Table)s
-
-    Returns
-    -------
-    table : `~matplotlib.table.Table`
-        The created table.
     """
 
     if cellColours is None and cellText is None:
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/testing/compare.py b/lib/matplotlib/testing/compare.py
index b653369bb495..1f14f81edcdd 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/testing/compare.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/testing/compare.py
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ def comparable_formats():
 
     Returns
     -------
-    supported_formats : list of str
+    list of str
         E.g. ``['png', 'pdf', 'svg', 'eps']``.
 
     """
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ def compare_images(expected, actual, tol, in_decorator=False):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    comparison_result : None or dict or str
+    None or dict or str
         Return *None* if the images are equal within the given tolerance.
 
         If the images differ, the return value depends on  *in_decorator*.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/text.py b/lib/matplotlib/text.py
index f1ff53f8d9f1..3e8f2eb8d82c 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/text.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/text.py
@@ -1308,7 +1308,7 @@ def __call__(self, renderer):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        transform : `Transform`
+        `Transform`
             Maps (x, y) in pixel or point units to screen units
             relative to the given artist.
         """
@@ -1705,7 +1705,7 @@ def transform(renderer) -> Transform
 
         Returns
         -------
-        annotation : `.Annotation`
+        `.Annotation`
 
         See Also
         --------
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/textpath.py b/lib/matplotlib/textpath.py
index 1e0377007e1a..f2bcdaff46ce 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/textpath.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/textpath.py
@@ -107,9 +107,12 @@ def get_text_path(self, prop, s, ismath=False):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        verts, codes : tuple of lists
-            *verts*  is a list of numpy arrays containing the x and y
-            coordinates of the vertices. *codes* is a list of path codes.
+        verts : list
+            A list of numpy arrays containing the x and y coordinates of the
+            vertices.
+
+        codes : list
+            A list of path codes.
 
         Examples
         --------
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/transforms.py b/lib/matplotlib/transforms.py
index 9df4549baaa2..9873099c13a4 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/transforms.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/transforms.py
@@ -1431,7 +1431,7 @@ def transform_affine(self, values):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        values : array
+        array
             The output values as NumPy array of length :attr:`input_dims` or
             shape (N x :attr:`output_dims`), depending on the input.
         """
@@ -1456,7 +1456,7 @@ def transform_non_affine(self, values):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        values : array
+        array
             The output values as NumPy array of length :attr:`input_dims` or
             shape (N x :attr:`output_dims`), depending on the input.
         """
@@ -1558,7 +1558,7 @@ def transform_angles(self, angles, pts, radians=False, pushoff=1e-5):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        transformed_angles : (N,) array
+        (N,) array
         """
         # Must be 2D
         if self.input_dims != 2 or self.output_dims != 2:
@@ -2861,7 +2861,7 @@ def offset_copy(trans, fig=None, x=0.0, y=0.0, units='inches'):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    trans : `Transform` subclass
+    `Transform` subclass
         Transform with applied offset.
     """
     if units == 'dots':
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tri/triinterpolate.py b/lib/matplotlib/tri/triinterpolate.py
index c504edc80ff4..1e2e00188226 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tri/triinterpolate.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tri/triinterpolate.py
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ def __init__(self, triangulation, z, trifinder=None):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        z : np.ma.array
+        np.ma.array
             Masked array of the same shape as *x* and *y*; values corresponding
             to (*x*, *y*) points outside of the triangulation are masked out.
 
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ def _interpolate_multikeys(self, x, y, tri_index=None,
 
         Returns
         -------
-        ret : list of arrays
+        list of arrays
             Each array-like contains the expected interpolated values in the
             order defined by *return_keys* parameter.
         """
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ def _interpolate_single_key(self, return_key, tri_index, x, y):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        ret : 1-d array
+        1-d array
             Returned array of the same size as *tri_index*
         """
         raise NotImplementedError("TriInterpolator subclasses" +
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ def _compute_dof(self, kind, dz=None):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        dof : array-like, shape (npts, 2)
+        array-like, shape (npts, 2)
               Estimation of the gradient at triangulation nodes (stored as
               degree of freedoms of reduced-HCT triangle elements).
         """
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@ def _get_alpha_vec(x, y, tris_pts):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        alpha : array of dim 2 (shape (nx, 3))
+        array of dim 2 (shape (nx, 3))
             Barycentric coordinates of the points inside the containing
             triangles.
         """
@@ -534,7 +534,7 @@ def _get_jacobian(tris_pts):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        J : array of dim 3 (shape (nx, 2, 2))
+        array of dim 3 (shape (nx, 2, 2))
             Barycentric coordinates of the points inside the containing
             triangles.
             J[itri, :, :] is the jacobian matrix at apex 0 of the triangle
@@ -562,7 +562,7 @@ def _compute_tri_eccentricities(tris_pts):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        ecc : array like of dim 2 (shape: (nx, 3))
+        array like of dim 2 (shape: (nx, 3))
             The so-called eccentricity parameters [1] needed for HCT triangular
             element.
         """
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tri/tritools.py b/lib/matplotlib/tri/tritools.py
index 9fbf657390d1..8f771621fc49 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tri/tritools.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tri/tritools.py
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ def scale_factors(self):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        k : (float, float)
+        (float, float)
             Scaling factors (kx, ky) so that the triangulation
             ``[triangulation.x * kx, triangulation.y * ky]``
             fits exactly inside a unit square.
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ def circle_ratios(self, rescale=True):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        circle_ratios : masked array
+        masked array
             Ratio of the incircle radius over the circumcircle radius, for
             each 'rescaled' triangle of the encapsulated triangulation.
             Values corresponding to masked triangles are masked out.
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ def get_flat_tri_mask(self, min_circle_ratio=0.01, rescale=True):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        new_mask : bool array-like
+        bool array-like
             Mask to apply to encapsulated triangulation.
             All the initially masked triangles remain masked in the
             *new_mask*.
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ def _total_to_compress_renum(mask, n=None):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        renum : int array
+        int array
             array so that (`valid_array` being a compressed array
             based on a `masked_array` with mask *mask*):
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/type1font.py b/lib/matplotlib/type1font.py
index 343131eccdfd..eb69cd1a424b 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/type1font.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/type1font.py
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ def transform(self, effects):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        font : `Type1Font`
+        `Type1Font`
         """
         tokenizer = self._tokens(self.parts[0])
         transformed = self._transformer(tokenizer,
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/widgets.py b/lib/matplotlib/widgets.py
index 3fca22c6d208..9877955ccd3e 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/widgets.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/widgets.py
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ def on_changed(self, func):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        cid : int
+        int
             Connection id (which can be used to disconnect *func*)
         """
         cid = self.cnt