rearrange

verb

re·​ar·​range ˌrē-ə-ˈrānj How to pronounce rearrange (audio)
rearranged; rearranging
Synonyms of rearrangenext

transitive verb

: to arrange (something or someone) again in a different way
rearranged the flowers on the table
rearrange the furniture
I rearranged my hair/clothes/glasses.
… anagrams, which are words or phrases rearranged to form different words or phrases.Carolyn Phelan
… massaging his knees while he talks, frequently rearranging himself into a more comfortable position.Daniel Ross
Sarah is more or less grimacing now … . In a minute, she'll rearrange her face to look cheerful.Aurelie Sheehan
rearranging their lives … to go back to school, to get the education that was denied them or that they did not want when they were young.Ruth Dorgan
… thousands of people had to cancel or rearrange their travel plans.Ken Young

Examples of rearrange in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There are only eight Premier League games this week, with those involving Manchester City and Arsenal (against Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers respectively) being rearranged due to their meeting in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday. Oliver Kay, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026 Whether that would improve educational governance and accountability or merely rearrange the organizational boxes is uncertain. Dan Walters, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026 At the wedding, the mother-in-law went around rearranging seating, even putting herself at my family table instead of her own. Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026 Bring your optimistic spirit to a family chat or landlord call, then rearrange a room or update a chore plan accordingly. Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rearrange

Word History

First Known Use

1778, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rearrange was in 1778

Cite this Entry

“Rearrange.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rearrange. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

rearrange

verb
re·​ar·​range
ˌrē-ə-ˈrānj
: to arrange again usually in a different way
rearranged the furniture
rearrangement noun

More from Merriam-Webster on rearrange

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster