overhaul
Americanverb (used with object)
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overhauls,
present (3rd person singular)
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overhauled,
past participle, past
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overhauling
present participle
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to make necessary repairs on; restore to serviceable condition.
My car was overhauled by an expert mechanic.
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to investigate or examine thoroughly for repair or revision.
Next year we're going to overhaul the curriculum.
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to gain upon, catch up with, or overtake, as in a race.
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to haul or turn over for examination.
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Nautical.
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to slacken (a rope) by hauling in the opposite direction to that in which the rope was drawn taut.
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to release the blocks of (a tackle).
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noun
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overhauls
plural
verb
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to examine carefully for faults, necessary repairs, etc
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to make repairs or adjustments to (a car, machine, etc)
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to overtake
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
overhaulsimple
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overhaulssimple
-
have overhauledperfect
-
has overhauledperfect
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am overhaulingprogressive
-
are overhaulingprogressive
-
is overhaulingprogressive
-
have been overhaulingperfect progressive
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has been overhaulingperfect progressive
Past
-
overhauledsimple
-
had overhauledperfect
-
was overhaulingprogressive
-
were overhaulingprogressive
-
had been overhaulingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overhaul
Explanation
To overhaul is to completely renovate, making major changes in order to repair. A few shutters and a new coat of paint won't come close to fixing that old, boarded-up house — it needs a complete overhaul. Back in the 1620s when the word was coined, overhaul described examining a fishing net to make sure there were no tears or big holes that would keep the fisherman from getting a big haul, or large amount of fish. Today, an overhaul is usually the result of such a close examination — like the overhaul that some people want to make to American public schools, or the overhaul an old car needs to keep it on the road.
Vocabulary lists containing overhaul
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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:
He also vetoed an effort to overhaul the state’s struggling community-solar program.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
LIVERPOOL—Just over two months into his tenure as U.K. prime minister, Andy Burnham is laying the groundwork for an unabashedly socialist overhaul of the British state.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Up for discussion was a definition of ultraprocessed food—a wonky but critical part of Kennedy’s plans to overhaul the U.S. food supply—and whether it should undergo a layer of further review by White House staff.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Advocates had gone “back and forth” on attempts to overhaul the current system, said Araceli Simeón, executive director of the California Family Engagement Network, a supporter of the bill.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
The revolutionary overhaul endowed the Mary Rose with the greatest naval military innovation of its time: hinged gunports.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
But we should also realize that the engineers who are so ready to offer grim characterizations of what they’ve created are much less willing to make any substantial process overhauls.
From Slate ● Sep. 15, 2026
Instead of strict rules and major life overhauls, creators are sharing small changes aimed at finishing the year strong.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
The stock declines have made software companies attractive opportunities for private-equity firms looking to acquire assets at a discount, perform strategic business overhauls and then exit at a markup.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
Nike NKE -1.17%decrease; down pointing triangle has ended online sales through its existing distributors in mainland China as the U.S. sportswear company overhauls its operations to revive sales amid intensifying competition from local rivals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
A silence overhauls us, and the voice leaves me completely There’s no more breathing at the other end.
From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak
The company overhauled its original power plans to address local resistance to its idea to use gas turbines and diesel generators, but it has yet to obtain the air permits it needs from the state.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
Just 20 miles away from the facility, Giga Texas, other Musk companies have completely overhauled what was primarily a rural, residential area.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
The company said in its filing on Friday that since 2020, it had "overhauled" its privacy practices to help meet the "unique needs of its community".
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
The actor overhauled that home—a farmhouse, which was built in the 18th century—shortly after snapping it up to include six bedrooms, seven bathrooms.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
During the end of March and most of April, my father caught and salted alewives for crab bait, overhauled the motor on the Portia Sue, and converted it once more for crabbing.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
He called a meeting for Tuesday with regional presidents to discuss overhauling the country's often-dilapidated school buildings.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
He spent time in Southern California over the offseason to get a head start on overhauling his swing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
The inquest had heard that an engineer sent by Newham Council in December 2023 to carry out an inspection and look at overhauling the windows and handles, found they were functioning when he saw them.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
Exxon also cited years of structural cost savings, which have reached $16.3 billion since the company began overhauling operations a few years ago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
There was a flurry of overhauling and painting and mending to be done.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
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.
