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.
“From the grandparents’ perspective, do not expect to have your kids rearrange their life,” she said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
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
At that time, theoretical physicist Vincent Meunier predicted that sharply bending graphene could rearrange its electrons and create an electrical response.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 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
When by some accident somebody scattered her rows, they always stopped to retrieve them for her, and she was never angry, for it gave her a chance to rearrange them again.
From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
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