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:
Ali Esfahani, CFO of Unconventional AI and a veteran technology investment banker, believes software companies will need to completely overhaul existing seat-based pricing.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
That’s what his seeming break with longevity actually entails: an overhaul of his life’s mission away from “lifemaxxing” toward more specific goals like curing the incurable.
From Slate ● Jul. 31, 2026
But visa restrictions and federal attempts to overhaul higher education have led to a dip in foreign enrollment, experts say.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
One way to resolve his mechanical flaw would have been for Sasaki to completely overhaul the mechanics he has been using his entire life in the middle of a pennant race.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 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
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
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
At one point in April, 10 vessels from its 32-strong ferry fleet were out of action due to technical faults, annual overhauls or crewing issues.
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
It also has limited direct exposure to disruptions to Middle Eastern airlines’ aircraft maintenance, repairs and overhauls, with any short-term effect likely moderate, he says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 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
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
The Lakers have overhauled the roster: All the players who started alongside Reaves in the playoffs last spring are gone.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
While his father was out of town, Louie overhauled the engine on the family’s Marmon Roosevelt Straight-8 sedan.
From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand
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
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
But it was an early work in progress and overhauling conscription was still on his to-do list when he was sacked.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
In addition to his work at CityWalk, Umphenour has been busy for weeks overhauling the projection setup at the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale.
From Los Angeles Times ● 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.
