reshape
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Etymology
Origin of reshape
Explanation
When you reshape something, you change or transform it completely. You can reshape a lump of clay, but you can also reshape your plans for your life. A government can reshape the country's energy plan, incorporating more environmentally friendly systems. And a school committee can reshape the high school curriculum, adding higher-level science classes and more choices in the art department. It's also possible to reshape things in a more literal way, squeezing bread dough as you reshape it to fit a different pan, for example.
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.
Trump is only the latest president to reshape Washington’s physical environs in line with his political goals.
From Slate • May 18, 2026
Richie Karaburun, a professor at New York University, believes “overtourism demand control” will reshape how the world’s most iconic destinations operate.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
Still, Palmer struck a confident tone: “Washington is now materially closer to passing legislation that could reshape the trajectory of the American digital asset ecosystem for years to come.”
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
Like the asteroid associated with the K-Pg extinction, the impact described in Inferno is portrayed as powerful enough to penetrate deep into the Earth and reshape the planet itself.
From Science Daily • May 11, 2026
I was trying to gradually reshape that image.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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.
