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reformulate

American  
[ree-fawr-myuh-layt] / riˈfɔr mjəˌleɪt /

verb (used with object)

reformulated, reformulating
  1. to formulate again.

  2. to formulate in a different way; alter or revise.

    to reformulate our plans.


reformulate British  
/ riːˈfɔːmjʊˌleɪt /

verb

  1. to change or update (an idea, plan, etc, already formulated)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of reformulate

First recorded in 1880–85; re- + formulate


Explanation

To reformulate is to rework or improve an original plan. If your bottle rocket goes off course, crashing into your kitchen window, you will want to reformulate the flight plans before you launch it again. Fortunately for English speakers, there are a lot of linguistic opportunities for second chances! Reformulate is one of those words that give you a chance to improve upon a first try. Words in this “do-over” family include revise, rework, and redevelop; notice the re in all of these words, from the Latin “again” or “back.” Reformulate is usually used for a formula, theory, or plan.

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Vocabulary lists containing reformulate

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:

The task required Member’s Mark to reformulate and relaunch more than 800 products.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

"Warning labels on products exceeding nutrient thresholds could help parents navigate the toddler food environment and might encourage manufacturers to reformulate these products."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

They are trying to reformulate their products by doing things like adding more protein and taking out artificial colors and sweeteners.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2025

Food companies are racing to switch up supply chains and reformulate products to meet the moment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2025

Before we can answer these questions, we must dispel some misconceptions about the origins of food production and then reformulate the question.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

But its reformulated chai isn’t going down as smoothly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

"Since 2017, we have reformulated over 3,000 recipes and taken out 160 additives… Last year alone, we re-worked the formulations of around 300 products," the company said in a statement.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

Rather than attempting to directly calculate the full structure of the material, the team reformulated the challenge using methods similar to those used by quantum computers.

From Science Daily ● May 13, 2026

Look at trading for a key commodity with a heinous name: RBOB, short for reformulated gasoline blendstock for oxygenate blending.

From Barron's ● Mar. 20, 2026

In time, as with Newtonian mechanics, the “central dogma” of genetics would be vastly refined, modified, and reformulated.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Drugmakers facing biosimilar competition have increasingly turned to reformulating their own drugs into modified versions filed as newly branded biologics rather than biosimilars, which builds a fresh estate of patents around a new formulation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

Manufacturers therefore have to carefully balance sodium reduction with potassium enhancement when reformulating products.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026

To compensate for higher cocoa prices, chocolate manufacturers have been reformulating recipes, repackaging products, and yes, raising prices.

From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2025

Plant-based manufacturers are responding to the demand for high-protein drinks by mentioning protein more on their packaging, and reformulating their products to include more protein.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2025

His work is neither a translation nor a mere paraphrase; it is a reformulating of Shakespeare into a new work of art.

From An Essay Toward a History of Shakespeare in Norway by Martin Brown Ruud

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