new lease on life

Idioms

A fresh start; renewed vigor and good health, as in Since they bought his store Dad has had a new lease on life. This term with its allusion to a rental agreement dates from the early 1800s and originally referred only to recovery from illness. By the mid-1800s it was applied to any kind of fresh beginning.

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.

See Examples For:

new lease on life

It has spent years increasing its market share, and data center power has given the 150-year-old business a new lease on life.

From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026

He can give the mullahs a new lease on life.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 2026

"It's like a new lease on life I never expected at my advanced age," 74-year-old Jagari says on a call from New Zealand, the final stop on WITCH's 2025 world tour.

From BBC ● Dec. 19, 2025

The Gas Company Tower, one of Los Angeles’ tallest skyscrapers, may get a new lease on life if a sale goes through.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2025

Now, I thought, the clubs will be given a new lease on life.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023