restructure

American  

[ree-struhk-cher] / riˈstrʌk tʃər /

verb (used with object)

• restructures,
  present (3rd person singular)
• restructured,
  past participle,  past
• restructuring
  present participle

1. to change, alter, or restore the structure of.

   to restructure a broken nose.

2. to effect a fundamental change in (as an organization or system).

3. to recombine (bits of inexpensive meats), especially by mechanical means, into simulated steaks, fillets, etc.

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verb (used without object)

• restructures,
  present (3rd person singular)
• restructured,
  past participle,  past
• restructuring
  present participle

1. to restructure something.

noun

1. the act or an instance of restructuring.

restructure British  

/ riːˈstrʌktʃə /

verb

1. (tr) to organize (a system, business, society, etc) in a different way

   radical attempts to restructure the economy

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• restructurer
  noun
• restructuring
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• restructuring
  present
• restructured
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• restructure
  simple
• restructures
  simple
• have restructured
  perfect
• has restructured
  perfect
• am restructuring
  progressive
• are restructuring
  progressive
• is restructuring
  progressive
• have been restructuring
  perfect progressive
• has been restructuring
  perfect progressive

Past

• restructured
  simple
• had restructured
  perfect
• was restructuring
  progressive
• were restructuring
  progressive
• had been restructuring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will restructure
  simple
• will have restructured
  perfect
• will be restructuring
  progressive
• will have been restructuring
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of restructure

First recorded in 1940–45; re- + structure

Explanation

When you restructure something, you organize it in a different way so it’ll work better, like a practice schedule a coach restructures to get in more morning sessions before a big game. The verb restructure often refers to a company that is changing the way it operates in order to be more efficient. In many cases, this means laying off employees, closing locations, or working with creditors to change the speed at which debt is repaid. The goal of this kind of restructuring is for the company to stay in business through a rough time in its history.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

restructure restructures restructured restructuring

In the mid-1980s, the Victorian government launched a major restructure of the timber industry, and invested today’s equivalent of A$26 million to explore alternatives to clearfelling.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026

The university said previously the proposals could involve programme closures and academic restructure.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is hosting an investment summit in Toronto to attract global capital and restructure the country’s economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

The savvy former WTA boss, who once successfully fought for women’s equal prize money, now shadow-leads an unexpectedly unified player effort to restructure the relationship with the sport’s longstanding economic pillars — the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

Hoover wanted the new investigation to be a showcase for his bureau, which he had continued to restructure.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

As Mozeliak restructures the roster, he is doing the same in the front office.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026

As it restructures in a bid to escape the doldrums, Ubisoft in June closed studios in Canada's Winnipeg and the Serbian capital Belgrade.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

BP named Gordon Birrell head of upstream and Richard Harding interim head of downstream as it restructures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026

“If overspending or unstable income is the root issue, the loan just restructures the pain.”

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 26, 2026

Professor Lockerby's work restructures Cunningham's original idea into a broader and more flexible form.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 8, 2026

European Athletics has restructured the way in which prize money is awarded, ensuring athletes finishing in the top eight in every discipline receive financial recognition.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

“I think safety is more industry-specific than company-specific. If I get fired, downsized, restructured, I feel like I have the ability to find another job within the industry,” Bolanowski said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

"Even when I started you could see, and you'd always read about it in the news, that this or that part of the business was being restructured," he said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026

Rendon’s attitude and performance became so disappointing that the Angels effectively told him to stay away in 2026 and restructured the final year of his contract.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026

Big Creek was to be restructured, he said, beginning with the junior class.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

League insiders see the committed investment as a "significant" step forward in the court-supervised restructuring process.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

L’Oréal has engaged restructuring advisers to explore options for mounting U.S. legal liabilities stemming from its use of talc and other chemicals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

Many expect a significant television division restructuring early next year, which could result in hundreds of layoffs, according to the Wall Street Journal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

Disney is reportedly planning a restructuring of its TV operations to better align with the demands of streaming.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

What they sought was not so much a radical restructuring of South African society as the removal of those features of apartheid that held back black initiative and enterprise.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

Related Words

• reconstruct
• reshuffle
• revamp