recast
Americanverb
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(often foll by as) to give (someone or something) a new role, function, or character
recast themselves as moderate and kind
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(often foll by as) to cast (an actor or actress) again or in a different part
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to cast new actors or actresses for a production of (a play, film, etc)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of recast
Explanation
"Let's start over." That's what someone might say when he or she needs to recast something, meaning "to make major changes that make something seem very different or even brand new." When you recast something, you aren’t just improving it slightly — something that is recast typically involves significant changes to the original. As it applies to actors' parts in a movie, television show, or play, to recast a part means finding a different actor to play it. When you recast a metal item, like a piece of jewelry, the item is melted down completely and then remade in a new form. When teachers get blank stares from students, they recast their questions to make them less confusing.
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.
Källenius’s comments come as the German manufacturing sector, which has been largely stagnant for years, seeks to recast itself as a major player in the West’s defense arsenal.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
In the face of this criticism, Sheinbaum used her daily news conference on Friday to recast the announcement as subject to further review.
From BBC • May 9, 2026
It’s easier to recast a hardship withdrawal as a positive if it solves a temporary financial problem.
From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026
Bosses at HBO said writer Mike White was having a rethink, with the role being rewritten and recast.
From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026
With the rise of Darwinian theory, explanations were recast in terms of natural selection and of evolutionary descent.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
