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:
Although further development and clinical validation will be important before the technology becomes an established dental treatment, its ability to recreate the structure and strength of natural enamel represents a promising advance.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026
Researchers have spent decades trying to recreate these remarkable biological systems artificially, and progress in this field was recognized with the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026
But I’ll never be able to recreate the rush of hearing its blossoming piano and strings for the first time, sensing the soundwaves from those Klipschorn speakers penetrate my skin.
From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026
During a debate about health on Tuesday, AI software was used to recreate the sound of her voice, as it used to be, to read a speech she wrote herself.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
Some, like the Hattiesburg clan, were organized, finding a concentration of homes where they could settle down together and recreate their community from down south.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
This distinctive pattern provides another potential indication that the extreme matter of the early universe is being recreated in oxygen collisions.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026
Using the simulation results, the scientists developed a simplified theoretical model that successfully recreated both the rotation observed in the experiments and the accompanying increase in electrical current.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026
During the episode, bakers made American-style cookies, recreated iced gems and created a "visually striking" biscuit mosaic.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
The actor died in 2016, but his voice has been recreated using AI, which has received some criticism, despite producers obtaining the consent of his estate and approval of his widow Karen B Wilder.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
Instead of dreaming their tragic forms, I recreated them as living, laughing people in the cool red confines of RiRi’s tent as she drifted off.
From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline
Dr. Abshar Hasan, a postdoctoral fellow and the study's lead author, explained why recreating enamel's internal structure is so important.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026
And while David Lean might have the edge in recreating African battles, Mr. Baudry creates two extended sequences that are emotionally exhilarating, and pivotal in the restoration of French pride.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 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
Young people are in real life recreating “aura farming” once found in video games.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
