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.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell seemed to indicate that the he would defer to nominee Fed chair Kevin Warsh—likely to take over before the June meeting—about what to do over the language.
From Barron's • May 1, 2026
She understands there is an opportunity to stake her claim in the side and wants to show what she can do over the next few weeks.
From BBC • Mar. 1, 2026
“Additionally, because concertina coils are rigid and stay under tension, they don’t ‘sag’ or create the loose, invisible snares that single-strand wires often do over time, which helps reduce the risk of accidental wildlife entanglement.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2026
The “split to save” move is one of those clicking-the-buttons sessions that’s great to do over drinks with a motivated friend.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 13, 2026
“What are you going to do over there?” she asked, beaming at the packet, then at me.
From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
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.
