rebuild

verb

re·​build (ˌ)rē-ˈbild 

rebuilt (ˌ)rē-ˈbilt  ; rebuilding

transitive verb

1

a

: to make extensive repairs to : reconstruct

rebuild a war-torn city

b

: to restore to a previous state

rebuild inventories

2

: to make extensive changes in : remodel

rebuild society

intransitive verb

: to build again

planned to rebuild after the fire

Choose the Right Synonym for rebuild

mend, repair, patch, rebuild mean to put into good order something that is injured, damaged, or defective.

mend implies making whole or sound something broken, torn, or injured.

mended the torn dress

repair applies to the fixing of more extensive damage or dilapidation.

repaired the back steps

patch implies an often temporary fixing of a hole or break with new material.

patch worn jeans

rebuild suggests making like new without completely replacing.

a rebuilt automobile engine

Examples of rebuild in a Sentence

He rebuilt his house after it was destroyed by a fire.

They tried to rebuild after the earthquake.

The new owner plans to rebuild the franchise.

The team is rebuilding after losing most of its top players.

Recent Examples on the Web

Kevin De Bruyne’s departure in summer 2025, Bernardo Silva’s this off-season and questions over Rodri’s future mean City need to rebuild the most important part of their creaking winning machine. — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 24 July 2026

San Francisco, Lisbon, Tokyo, Christchurch are all cities that have been rebuilt stronger and safer after devastating earthquakes. — Syra Ortiz-Blanes, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026

Instead, the club wants to identify ways to rebuild its pitching depth while remaining optimistic for the 2027 season. — Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026

That creates continuity between education and employment, rather than forcing people to rebuild their credibility from scratch at every life stage. — Raj Ananthanpillai, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1537, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for rebuild

• backfilled
• distilled
• fulfilled
• infilled
• instilled
• refilled
• unfilled
• unskilled
• untilled
• billed
• build
• chilled

Kids Definition

rebuild

verb

re·​build (ˈ)rē-ˈbild 

rebuilt -ˈbilt  ; rebuilding

1

: to make important repairs to or changes in

rebuild an old house

2

: to build again

planned to rebuild after the fire