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Synonyms

overhaul

American  
[oh-ver-hawl, oh-ver-hawl, oh-ver-hawl] / ˌoʊ vərˈhɔl, ˈoʊ vərˌhɔl, ˈoʊ vərˌhɔl /

verb (used with object)

  1. to make necessary repairs on; restore to serviceable condition.

    My car was overhauled by an expert mechanic.

  2. to investigate or examine thoroughly for repair or revision.

    Next year we're going to overhaul the curriculum.

  3. to gain upon, catch up with, or overtake, as in a race.

  4. to haul or turn over for examination.

  5. Nautical.

    1. to slacken (a rope) by hauling in the opposite direction to that in which the rope was drawn taut.

    2. to release the blocks of (a tackle).

noun

  1. Also overhauling. a general examination and repair.

    The state roads were badly in need of a major overhaul.
overhaul British  

verb

  1. to examine carefully for faults, necessary repairs, etc

  2. to make repairs or adjustments to (a car, machine, etc)

  3. to overtake

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a thorough examination and repair

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • overhauler noun
  • unoverhauled adjective

Etymology

Origin of overhaul

First recorded in 1620–30; over- + haul

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.

Apple delivered new Siri capabilities piecemeal in the following months, and the company announced in March 2025 that a full Siri overhaul would be pushed to 2026.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the overhaul would mean that officers would "no longer be policing perfectly legal tweets" and would have more time to patrol streets and catch criminals.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

And rather than relying on its own engineers to overhaul Siri, Apple has turned to Google for AI capability.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

In a fortnight where Europe-chasing rivals United drew two blanks in three league games, Arsenal hit 10 across two games to overhaul their goal difference deficit.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 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.