rearrange

British  

/ ˌriːəˈreɪndʒ /

verb

1. to put (something) into a new order

   to rearrange the lighting

2. to put (something) back in its original order after it has been displaced

3. to fix a new date or time for (something postponed)

   to rearrange a match

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Other Word Forms

• rearrangement
  noun
• rearranger
  noun

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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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rearrange

A customer may have exacting preferences, a store may rearrange its shelves and an apparently suitable replacement may turn out to contain an allergen.

From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026

“From the grandparents’ perspective, do not expect to have your kids rearrange their life,” she said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

But on Swindon, Liberal Democrat Bearder said: "I don't think its a good fit. You would have to rearrange all the boundaries."

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

While Geese has a tendency to channel and then rearrange rock history, Mr. Winter’s solo work has no such tether.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

I’m engrossed in a book, I have to rearrange my thoughts before I can mingle with other people, because otherwise they might think I was strange.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

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Related Words

• readjust
• reconstruct
• reorganize
• reposition
• reshuffle
• revamp
• rework

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