overhaul
Americanverb (used with object)
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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
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
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overhaulsimple
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overhaulssimple
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have overhauledperfect
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has overhauledperfect
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am overhaulingprogressive
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are overhaulingprogressive
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is overhaulingprogressive
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have been overhaulingperfect progressive
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has been overhaulingperfect progressive
Past
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overhauledsimple
-
had overhauledperfect
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was overhaulingprogressive
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were overhaulingprogressive
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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
This Week in Words: November 26 - December 1, 2017
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"A Place to Call Home," Vocabulary from the research study
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I, Robot
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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.
The improvements in the latest model are a confirmation for Tencent’s new AI team after the recent overhaul, they note.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 7, 2026
As a result of the task force, McLucas ordered an overhaul: public lockers, of which there were 14,000 total in 140 airports, would be moved to more secure areas.
From Slate • Jul. 7, 2026
The cuts include the deepest overhaul in Xbox's history, with approximately 3,200 gaming jobs to be shed over the coming fiscal year, including positions at four studios that are being spun off or sold.
From Barron's • Jul. 6, 2026
In addition to new limits for graduate students, the student loan overhaul includes caps for parents who take out education loans for their children under a federal program.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 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
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.
