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
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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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 U.S. and Cuba have been involved in talks for months, with American officials demanding an overhaul of the island’s state-run economy and one-party political system.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
Hammond and George were among parents who told BBC Your Voice they want to see an overhaul of the CMS so mistakes like this don't happen again.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
This is Kobliner’s first overhaul of “Get a Financial Life” since the COVID-19 pandemic, and things have changed tremendously just in the last few years.
From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026
The company said earlier this month that it plans to slash hundreds of jobs in Europe and overhaul its operations in the region.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
He’d led an overhaul of state campaign finance laws that ushered in stricter ethics rules for elected officials.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
