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
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has overhauledperfect
-
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:
At Delhi's Jantar Mantar, where the CJP held its earlier protest, the group demanded Pradhan's resignation as well as an overhaul of India's education system with greater accountability.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
The contractor’s $400 million overhaul of the aircraft serving as Air Force One includes communications-system upgrades and security enhancements.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
John Driscoll knows it’s going to take a major overhaul to fix Social Security — and he’s willing to pay up.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit agreed with the lower court that such a sweeping White House overhaul required the explicit consent of Congress.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 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
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
With a knockout-round berth already secure, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino overhauls his lineup, but the changes didn’t work in a 3-2 loss to Turkey.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
Austin’s housing market improved with a 19% drop in rents and home prices since 2022, following zoning law overhauls.
From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026
Bath & Body Works reported lower first-quarter sales as the company overhauls its strategy in an attempt to return to growth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 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
Meta overhauled its AI efforts last summer and created a new division called Meta Superintelligence Labs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Meta has been consistently criticized for its spending levels over the past few quarters as the company has overhauled its AI strategy with the creation of Meta Superintelligence Labs.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
He insisted that the engine on the 18-year-old Boeing 737 plane had been fully serviced and overhauled in the past two years.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
While it is unclear whether the CJP will achieve its aims of having the education minister removed and the education system overhauled, it has had a major impact on India.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 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
In the same week that the pair were ranting over historical “accuracy,” Michael Kratsios, the president’s science adviser, proposed overhauling the government’s approach to funding the sciences.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
The Lakers pivoted quickly after James announced he wouldn’t return, overhauling the roster to complement star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
That comes as President Bola Tinubu has engaged in a raft of reforms, hailed by economists and investors, including liberalising the naira currency exchange rate, overhauling the tax code and removing a costly fuel subsidy.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Last year, the couple spent another $200,000 overhauling their kitchen, which was untouched from the 1970s, and porch.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 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.
