overhaul
Americanverb (used with object)
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overhauls,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overhauled,
past participle, past
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overhauling
present participle
-
to make necessary repairs on; restore to serviceable condition.
My car was overhauled by an expert mechanic.
-
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).
-
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
-
overhaulssimple
-
have overhauledperfect
-
has overhauledperfect
-
am overhaulingprogressive
-
are overhaulingprogressive
-
is overhaulingprogressive
-
have been overhaulingperfect progressive
-
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:
Warsh did make an announcement on the task forces that he created to overhaul the central bank, saying there will be a meeting next month in the San Francisco era on productivity and jobs.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Friedman tells Realtor.com that a “two-month overhaul of the entire apartment” was completed to prepare the home for market.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
Navy leaders searched for Jones to figure out what he said that prompted the president to demand an overhaul of one of the most expensive weapons programs in history.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
"The system needs a bit of an overhaul as a whole," she says.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
New York’s prison system in the early twentieth century, to his concerned eyes, was in need of complete overhaul.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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
Hichilema quickly implemented economic overhauls, including austerity measures, that helped pull the country out of default, winning credit from investors and economists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 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
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
Its centerpiece is Siri AI, the overhauled version of Apple’s assistant powered by Apple Intelligence, which the company is pitching as a more conversational helper than the original Siri.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
Louis Vuitton successfully overhauled its products and Chinese demand began to pick up again.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 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 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
He overhauled ethics rules governing White House employees’ interactions with lobbyists and, most important, managed to push a major economic stimulus bill through Congress, even though not a single House Republican voted in its favor.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
For Netflix, that means looking outside of its once-unimpeachable red walls and embracing more reluctant partnerships with rivals, while cutting costs and overhauling old practices wherever possible.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
Fiji also this week announced it was overhauling its intelligence service, with New Zealand's spy agency to conduct a six-month review.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
Nike is overhauling its approach to its second-largest market, moving to reclaim its premium status by cutting off most third-party online vendors in China, Jon Emont writes in The Wall Street Journal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 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
There was a flurry of overhauling and painting and mending to be done.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
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