redouble

American  

[ree-duhb-uhl] / riˈdʌb əl /

verb (used with object)

redoubled, redoubling

1. to double; make twice as great.

   If you hope to win that client, you'll have to redouble your efforts to impress her.

2. to echo or reecho.

3. Bridge. to double the double of (an opponent).

4. to go back over.

   I redoubled my footsteps, trying to find my lost earring.

5. Archaic. to repeat.

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verb (used without object)

redoubled, redoubling

1. to be doubled; become twice as great.

2. to be echoed; resound.

3. Bridge. to double the double of an opponent.

noun

1. Bridge. the act of doubling one's opponent's double.

2. Fencing. an attack in a line other than that of the previous attack, made after the failure of the opponent to follow their parry of the previous attack with a riposte.

redouble British  

/ rɪˈdʌbəl /

verb

1. to make or become much greater in intensity, number, etc

   to redouble one's efforts

2. to send back (sounds) or (of sounds) to be sent back; echo or re-echo

3. bridge to double (an opponent's double)

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noun

1. the act of redoubling

Other Word Forms

• redoubler noun

Etymology

Origin of redouble

From the Middle French word redoubler, dating back to 1470–80. See re-, double

Explanation

To redouble something is to intensify it or make it bigger. After losing your initial run for school president, you might redouble your efforts the next year, with a bigger and better campaign. You'll almost always find the verb redouble accompanied by efforts, as when the local police force makes a pledge to redouble their efforts to cut down on people texting while driving. Or in an attempt to have a more diverse student body, a college might redouble its efforts to recruit applicants from different geographical areas. The root of redouble is the Middle French word redoubler, which combines re, "again," and doubler, "to double."

Example Sentences

Washington could then redouble its focus on the Indo-Pacific.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

We need to redouble our efforts to keep those markets growing.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

He added that the threat level meant the poultry industry needed to "batten the hatches down, review their biosecurity and redouble their efforts".

From BBC • Nov. 6, 2025

Those arguing that gold will double and then redouble from here would extend the line on this chart straight up.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 14, 2025

“The sight of freedom looming on the horizon should encourage us to redouble our efforts.”

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• enhance
• intensify
• strengthen