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

Boeing would have to find out what tooling still exists, rebuild jigs and dies, locate or replace hundreds of suppliers, requalify manufacturing processes, recruit specialist workers, and possibly redesign components that are no longer available. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2026

After back-to-back 17th-place finishes in the 20-team Premier League, Tottenham’s leadership oversaw a huge squad rebuild in the offseason in a show of confidence in De Zerbi. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026

The city determined in 2024 that the park was outdated and needed to be completely rebuilt. — Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026

But the rebuilding Dolphins should come closer to unlocking their run game against the 49ers, which would bode well for the future. — Keven Lerner, Sun Sentinel, 18 Sep. 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