rearm

verb

re·​arm (ˌ)rē-ˈärm How to pronounce rearm (audio)
rearmed; rearming; rearms

transitive verb

: to arm (a nation, a military force, etc.) again with new or better weapons

intransitive verb

: to become armed again

Example Sentences

The treaty forbids the country to rearm. Another country was rearming their enemies.
Recent Examples on the Web Now, in just the Rajouri district, which includes Dhangri, about 5,200 volunteers are being rearmed, according to local security officials. Showkat Nanda Atul Loke, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2023 The Ukrainians see their enemy as having expended its offensive ability and as eager for a pause in fighting that could buy time to rearm and attack again. Paul Sonne, BostonGlobe.com, 6 May 2023 Ukraine repeatedly has rejected any calls for negotiations or a cease-fire with Russia, fearing that the latter would just give Russian forces time to rearm for another attack and would pause the conflict with Moscow’s forces occupying roughly one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory. Isabelle Khurshudyan And Christian Shepherd, Anchorage Daily News, 26 Apr. 2023 Portland State University has rearmed their campus safety officers with guns, according to an email sent from the school’s President Stephen Percy on Tuesday. Austindedios, oregonlive, 12 Apr. 2023 Japan embraced pacifism after terrorizing Asia and losing World War II, but now, like Germany, the country is rearming. Damien Cave Chang W. Lee, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2023 The policy to rearm civilians comes after India stripped Kashmir of its semiautonomy and took direct control of the territory amid a months-long security and communications lockdown in 2019. Aijaz Hussain, ajc, 28 Feb. 2023 Skeptics of the current course have failed to set out realistic pathways to a durable peace, calling on Western governments to either slash support for Ukraine or push for a swift cease-fire that could allow Moscow to rearm and relaunch the war in a few months from a position of greater strength. Laurence Norman, WSJ, 6 Nov. 2022 Yet, still, Germans were reluctant to rearm. Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 June 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rearm.' 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

1750, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of rearm was in 1750

Dictionary Entries Near rearm

Cite this Entry

“Rearm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rearm. Accessed 9 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

rearm

verb
re·​arm (ˈ)rē-ˈärm How to pronounce rearm (audio)
: to arm again with new or better weapons
rearmament noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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