rebuild
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to repair, especially to dismantle and reassemble with new parts.
to rebuild an old car.
-
to replace, restrengthen, or reinforce.
to rebuild an army.
-
to revise, reshape, or reorganize.
to rebuild a shattered career.
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to make, construct, or form again
the cost of rebuilding the house
-
(tr) to restore (a system or situation) to a previous condition
his struggle to rebuild his life
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have rebuildedperfect
-
has rebuildedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have rebuiltperfect
-
has rebuiltperfect 3rd person singular
-
am rebuildingprogressive 1st person singular
-
have been rebuildingperfect progressive
-
are rebuildingprogressive
-
is rebuildingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
has been rebuildingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
rebuildingparticiple
-
rebuildssingular 3rd person
Past
-
had rebuildedperfect
-
had rebuiltperfect
-
had been rebuildingperfect progressive
-
were rebuildingprogressive plural
-
was rebuildingprogressive singular
-
rebuildedsimple
-
rebuildedparticiple
-
rebuiltsimple
-
rebuiltparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of rebuild
Explanation
When you construct something again, you rebuild it. If the chair you made from scraps of wood collapses when you sit in it, you can either rebuild it or give up on the idea of making your own furniture. When a natural disaster — like a hurricane or a tornado — destroys people's houses, they usually need the community's help to rebuild them. Before modern fire departments existed, several cities in the United States burned in terrible fires, destroying nearly all the homes and businesses. These cities had to rebuild, which they often did using less flammable materials, like bricks, rather than just wood.
Vocabulary lists containing rebuild
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When SpaceX lost a pad in 2016 it took 15 months to rebuild it — and SpaceX had other pads to fall back on.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
The deal also continues GSK’s recent efforts to rebuild its oncology business.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
Only an elected government can rebuild the rule of law and make Venezuelan commitments.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
The home side began their post-Ashes rebuild by beating the Black Caps by 115 runs before lunch on the fourth day.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
This time I didn’t have enough strength to rebuild the fire that had been rained out while I fitfully slept.
From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline
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.
