rearrange
Britishverb
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to put (something) into a new order
to rearrange the lighting
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to put (something) back in its original order after it has been displaced
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to fix a new date or time for (something postponed)
to rearrange a match
Other Word Forms
Explanation
When you rearrange something, you change its position or reorganize its contents. You could rearrange your bookshelves so that the books are sorted by color, rather than by title or author. After riding in a car with the windows down, you might need to rearrange your scarf and hairdo. And, if you're making room in your apartment for a friend to stay over, you might want to rearrange your furniture to accommodate an air mattress. You can also rearrange a schedule or routine. This word adds the "back or again" prefix, re-, to arrange, a verb which originally meant "draw up a battle line."
Vocabulary lists containing rearrange
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.
Cancel the tee booked at the Belfry, rearrange the trip to Cadbury World and abort the shopping jolly to the Bullring.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
The simulations revealed that if the surface atoms did not rearrange themselves, oxygen molecules could split apart much more easily and react with the gold.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
Loyal Otto — rearrange the letters in his name — has a Tin Man-esque steel plate in his head; Marino and Slattery both share the Cowardly Lion’s temper.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
“You have people engaging in conversations about how they’re going to rearrange their pantry, or where the vanity should go in the master bath—it’s really exciting.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
“At your service. We’ll rearrange our appointments,” the detective said graciously.
From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer
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.
