rewrite
Americanverb (used with object)
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to write in a different form or manner; revise.
to rewrite the entire book.
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to write again.
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to write (news submitted by a reporter) for inclusion in a newspaper.
noun
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the news story rewritten.
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something written in a different form or manner; revision.
They loved the rewrite, and said it would be a blockbuster!
verb
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to write (written material) again, esp changing the words or form
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computing to return (data) to a store when it has been erased during reading
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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rewritesimple
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rewritessimple
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have rewrittenperfect
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has rewrittenperfect
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am rewritingprogressive
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are rewritingprogressive
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is rewritingprogressive
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have been rewritingperfect progressive
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has been rewritingperfect progressive
Past
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rewrotesimple
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had rewrittenperfect
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was rewritingprogressive
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were rewritingprogressive
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had been rewritingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of rewrite
Explanation
When you rewrite something, you start from scratch, writing it again to improve it. You might decide to rewrite a poem after your entire poetry class seems confused by your original version. A newspaper editor might instruct a reporter to rewrite her story, approaching it from a new angle or including more interviews. To rewrite something is to edit it, but the word implies making significant changes — or even starting all over again with a blank piece of paper or computer screen. You can call the new version itself a rewrite too. In journalism, it was once common for a "rewrite man" to work crafting new stories out of other people's reporting.
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.
"It's a striking example of how quantum principles can rewrite the rules of classical physics," Scully said.
From Science Daily • Jul. 5, 2026
Zada’s filmmaking workflow involves writing, casting, prompting and editing all simultaneously, allowing him to rewrite scripts based on “dailies” generated by AI that day.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2026
They compelled America to rewrite its founding charter.
From Slate • Jul. 2, 2026
Maybe The Proclaimers will have to rewrite the lyrics of their famous deindustrialisation lament, Letter to America.
From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026
He can never get Raul to rewrite a lick of homework or anything else.
From "Bronx Masquerade" by Nikki Grimes
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.
