recreate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of recreate
1425–75; late Middle English recreaten < Latin recreātus (past participle of recreāre to create again, revive), equivalent to re- re- + creātus; see create
Explanation
To recreate means to give new life to something, to redo, or remake it. Say you become a billionaire and you grow tired of your mansion, try recreating your childhood home on your estate, so you can retire modestly. To recreate literally means to create over. If the mural you painted on the outside of your home was damaged in a flood, you might want to recreate it with waterproof paint. Recreate can also mean reimagine. If you become the principal of your old high school, you could throw out the old subjects and recreate high school education as everlasting game day. Recreate can also mean to play — it gives us the word recreation.
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.
See Examples For:
By bringing these systems together, the scientists were able to recreate events that occur before the severe vascular abnormalities seen in postmortem human brain tissue.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
Gutting the Etch A Sketch helped Dorfman better understand the intricacies of the tablet so he could recreate it in miniature form.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
A modern-day museum curator is commissioned to recreate a past scene in a historic palace, and becomes immersed in the world of the young, reluctant king whose life she uncovers.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
The trick is not to recreate the chicken bake so faithfully that you simply end up with one lying open-faced on a pie crust.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
It was the first step outward to the universe—beyond the universe—because in it and with it we merged to recreate and perpetuate the human spirit.
From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
Gene Wilder's voice was recreated using AI in the new show, which Goffe said was "magical"
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
Clad in the same diamante-encrusted football shirt, Carney recreated the Jive that first marked her out as a contender of her series, alongside dance partner Carlos Gu.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
In “102 Minutes,” it’s recreated, as is much of the show’s ornamentation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
In the museum's recreated listening rooms, visitors can hear actors reading out some of the conversations.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
I removed the stopwatch, notebook, pen, and iPod with the recreated playlist.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
Those differences suggest that semaglutide may be doing more than simply recreating the effects of eating less.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026
Forecasters advise those working or recreating outdoors as well as those without air conditioning to follow the forecast this week, stay hydrated, and seek cooling centers when possible.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Some, like Anthony Head, come close to recreating his magic.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
MarketWatch spent the better part of a day recreating it.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
Finally, she tried her own drawings freehand, looking closely at the fragrant blooms, recreating their soft petals with washes of watercolor.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
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.
