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Synonyms

rewrite

American  
[ree-rahyt, ree-rahyt] / riˈraɪt, ˈriˌraɪt /

verb (used with object)

rewrote, rewritten, rewriting

  1. to write in a different form or manner; revise.

    to rewrite the entire book.

  2. to write again.

  3. to write (news submitted by a reporter) for inclusion in a newspaper.

noun

  1. the news story rewritten.

  2. something written in a different form or manner; revision.

    They loved the rewrite, and said it would be a blockbuster!
rewrite British  

verb

  1. to write (written material) again, esp changing the words or form

  2. computing to return (data) to a store when it has been erased during reading

"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

noun

  1. something rewritten

"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

  • rewriter noun

Etymology

Origin of rewrite

First recorded in 1560–70; re- + write

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.

The plan is not binding but serves as a statement of the administration's priorities as Congress begins drafting spending legislation, with lawmakers retaining the power to rewrite or reject it.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

After Anthropic requested that GitHub remove copies of its proprietary code, another programmer used other AI tools to rewrite the Claude Code functionality in other programming languages.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The agent managed to rewrite its own code to avoid the kill switch, then posted about the blocking.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

They and others hope these early decisions could upend how social media giants approach child safety and rewrite the rules of engagement for their youngest users.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 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.