rebuild
Americanverb (used with object)
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to repair, especially to dismantle and reassemble with new parts.
to rebuild an old car.
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to replace, restrengthen, or reinforce.
to rebuild an army.
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to revise, reshape, or reorganize.
to rebuild a shattered career.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to make, construct, or form again
the cost of rebuilding the house
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(tr) to restore (a system or situation) to a previous condition
his struggle to rebuild his life
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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rebuildsimple
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rebuildssimple
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have rebuildedperfect
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have rebuiltperfect
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has rebuildedperfect
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has rebuiltperfect
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am rebuildingprogressive
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are rebuildingprogressive
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is rebuildingprogressive
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have been rebuildingperfect progressive
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has been rebuildingperfect progressive
Past
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rebuildedsimple
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rebuiltsimple
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had rebuildedperfect
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had rebuiltperfect
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was rebuildingprogressive
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were rebuildingprogressive
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had been rebuildingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of rebuild
Explanation
When you construct something again, you rebuild it. If the chair you made from scraps of wood collapses when you sit in it, you can either rebuild it or give up on the idea of making your own furniture. When a natural disaster — like a hurricane or a tornado — destroys people's houses, they usually need the community's help to rebuild them. Before modern fire departments existed, several cities in the United States burned in terrible fires, destroying nearly all the homes and businesses. These cities had to rebuild, which they often did using less flammable materials, like bricks, rather than just wood.
Vocabulary lists containing rebuild
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.
"Lifting sanctions on Syria will unlock international trade and investment, give Syria a chance to rebuild, and open up a new chapter for the Syrian people," he said.
From Barron's • Jul. 8, 2026
He’s said that parts of the launch site are “in good shape” and that Blue Origin won’t rebuild the same launch pad.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 8, 2026
She had to go back to working in sales after the divorce to boost her income and the new ring helps remind her how she managed to rebuild from the ground up.
From BBC • Jul. 6, 2026
At first, I was shocked to hear him say he does not believe the Angels need to rebuild.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2026
If it hadn’t been for him and Otto, I don’t know if she would have tried to rebuild.
From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer
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.
