rearrange

verb

re·​ar·​range ˌrē-ə-ˈrānj 

rearranged; rearranging

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

Griffin found that inserting copper atoms into lead apatite caused the material’s atoms to rearrange in an unexpected way that resembles existing superconductors. —Reuters, NBC News, 4 Aug. 2023

The trunk can be rearranged to act out three iconic scenes from the movies, and kids can customize the trunk with the Hogwarts house of their choosing. —Phoebe Sklansky, Parents, 2 Sep. 2023

In the new production co-commissioned by the Soraya and the Martha Graham Dance Company, composer Gabe Witcher will rearrange Aaron Copland’s score for a six-piece bluegrass ensemble in an effort to highlight the musical form’s Black origins. —Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2023

That program will involve rearranging the museum’s collections, and upgrading its plumbing and electrical systems. —Alex Marshall, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2023

The headset rearranges the raw image to remove gaps and reposition the sensor data. —IEEE Spectrum, 25 Aug. 2023

Yet, given time, some practice, and hopefully support from family and friends, many parents eventually settle into their new roles and rearrange their lives into a manageable system. —Manasee Wagh, Popular Mechanics, 22 Aug. 2023

Dennis McCaughan, 46, was casually rearranging his tent Saturday afternoon at the corner of 16th Street and Imperial Avenue. —Staff and Wire Reports, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2023

That’s a whole lot of rearranging the deck chairs, with Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle expected to get first dibs next month at filling the primo vacancies. —Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Aug. 2023

See More

Word History

First Known Use

1778, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

rearrange

verb

re·​ar·​range

ˌrē-ə-ˈrānj

: to arrange again usually in a different way

rearranged the furniture

rearrangement noun