recolonize
verb
re·col·o·nize
(ˌ)rē-ˈkä-lə-ˌnīz 
recolonized; recolonizing; recolonizes
: to colonize (a previously colonized region or habitat) again
At the end of the ice age some 10,000 years ago, reindeer were among the first animals to recolonize northern Scandinavia.—
Bryan Alexander
Bryan AlexanderThe half-century's colonization of Normandy in the fifteenth century had been followed by plans to recolonize Ireland from about 1520 onward, but tentative efforts to put those plans into effect after 1550 had met with little success.—David B. Quinn
David B. QuinnExamples of recolonize in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Beavers have recolonized parts of the Bronx River and Staten Island, building dams and carving wetlands in places once written off as lost to development.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
If temperatures cool again, algae can recolonize the corals, and the reef can heal.
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 24 Apr. 2025
Offering people more options and hope will mean understanding how those cancers successfully migrate and recolonize.
—Amber Dance, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
Storms removed ground cover, allowing weeds to quickly recolonize and grow in the moist conditions.
—Taylor Johnston, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2025
The collected data will shed light on how species adapt and recolonize—or don’t.
—Anton Sorokin, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Feb. 2025
The warning was originally aimed at certain European powers that wanted to colonize or recolonize certain parts of the Americas.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024
Using mulch or vigorous native groundcovers to cover bare soil will help discourage any new generations of ground ivy from recolonizing the site.
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 7 Mar. 2024
Having basically recolonized independent Belarus, Putin insists Ukraine has no right to exist as an independent country.
—Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 15 May 2024
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Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
If temperatures cool again, algae can recolonize the corals, and the reef can heal.
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 24 Apr. 2025
Offering people more options and hope will mean understanding how those cancers successfully migrate and recolonize.
—Amber Dance, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
Storms removed ground cover, allowing weeds to quickly recolonize and grow in the moist conditions.
—Taylor Johnston, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2025
The collected data will shed light on how species adapt and recolonize—or don’t.
—Anton Sorokin, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Feb. 2025
The warning was originally aimed at certain European powers that wanted to colonize or recolonize certain parts of the Americas.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024
Using mulch or vigorous native groundcovers to cover bare soil will help discourage any new generations of ground ivy from recolonizing the site.
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 7 Mar. 2024
Having basically recolonized independent Belarus, Putin insists Ukraine has no right to exist as an independent country.
—Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 15 May 2024
Cite this Entry
“Recolonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recolonize. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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