reenact

verb

re·​en·​act ˌrē-ə-ˈnakt How to pronounce reenact (audio)
reenacted; reenacting; reenacts

transitive verb

1
: to enact (something, such as a law) again
2
: to act or perform again
3
: to repeat the actions of (an earlier event or incident)
reenactment noun

Examples of reenact in a Sentence

The group reenacted a famous American Civil War battle.
Recent Examples on the Web In the film, Pitt, 60, and Cruz, 49, reenacted scenes from a classic, Oscar-winning French film, 1966’s A Man and a Woman. Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 Rosenblatt was fired from the police department in 2020 over a photo reenacting McClain's death. USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2024 This festival reenacts the 17th-century battle against the Tibetan army. Judy Koutsky, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Covered in black oil, mud, or grease, revelers reenact a tradition inspired by enslaved Africans who were determined to claim their freedom. Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 10 Feb. 2024 The spot makes several nods to the original, with Braff’s tattered gray sweatshirt not-so-subtly sliding off his shoulder, and Momoa (along with the magic of television) reenacting a midair flip. Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2024 While speaking at the Mash-Up Americans Book Festival in New York City on Wednesday, Julia Stiles took a moment to reenact her character Kat Stratford reading her iconic love poem to Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) from a famous scene in the beloved 1999 romantic comedy. EW.com, 9 Dec. 2023 The countless tales of bravery were collected by the museum and reenacted by professional actors. Judith Segaloff, Sun Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2024 Complete with an elevator, zipline, and figures of Chase, Marshall, Rubble, and Skye, this lookout tower lets kids reenact scenes from their favorite show or make up their own storylines about the pups of Adventure Bay. Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Parents, 13 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reenact.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of reenact was in 1613

Dictionary Entries Near reenact

Cite this Entry

“Reenact.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reenact. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

reenact

verb
re·​en·​act ˌrē-ə-ˈnakt How to pronounce reenact (audio)
1
: to enact again
2
: to perform again
reenactment noun

More from Merriam-Webster on reenact

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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