an opportunity to do something again or repeat it, especially when it did not turn out well the first time.
I wish I could have a do-over of the past five years of my life.
a makeover, as a renovation or a beauty treatment: A do-over at the spa made me feel young again!
Enter the sweepstakes to win a full kitchen do-over with new granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.
A do-over at the spa made me feel young again!
informal to renovate or redecorate
slang to beat up; thrash
Also, do something over.
Also, do over again . Repeat something, as in This setup won't work; I'll have to do it over again .
Redecorate, as in We've decided to do over the living room . [Early 1900s]
First recorded in 1890–95; noun use of verb phrase do over
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Patriots prodigy Drake Maye was left longing for a do-over after his first Super Bowl appearance ended in misery on Sunday.
From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026
The world’s second-largest economy offered Sam’s Club a chance for a do-over.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025
You must pay back any money you received, but the option for a do-over gives you a chance to increase your monthly benefit by waiting to claim.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 21, 2025
“And Just Like That...” purports to celebrate the mid-life do-over, just as it purports to show that women in their 50s are just as vibrant, complicated and fun as women in their 30s.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2025
I'd gotten a do-over, as if what I'd done had never happened at all.
From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
