refire
verb
re·fire
(ˌ)rē-ˈfī(-ə)r 
refired; refiring
1
transitive
: to fire (something or someone) again: such as
a
: to apply heat to (something, such as pottery) again as part of a manufacturing process
… emulated the reflectivity of metalwork by applying metal oxides to white-glazed vessels that were then refired.—
Roberta Smith
Roberta Smith
b
: to dismiss (someone) from a position again
unfortunately had to refire him after only one month
c
: to discharge (something, such as a firearm) again
refired the gun after reloading
2
transitive + intransitive
: to resume or cause (something) to resume operation : restart
Petty's engine stalled and wouldn't refire, and his crew pushed him across, drawing a one-lap penalty …—John Green
John Green… he pledged to help refire the country's economic engine—NJ.com
NJ.comExamples of refire in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But after Will Power came to a stop in pitlane, his car failed to refire.
—Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 17 June 2021
There is a lot of passion associated with Maserati, and the new QP may refire those passions.
—K.c. Colwell, Car and Driver, 4 Apr. 2023
But the one song Pippa needs to refire Jane’s career remains elusive, and now Jonesy, the Mark Ronson-meets-Dr. Luke Svengali who wrote Jane’s hit, reemerges with the promise of a comeback at a big arena gig of the kind that the Bangles themselves might have played in 1986.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2023
As the Mouse House moves forward without its visionary leader, Chapek must refire the creative engines to grow Disney+.
—Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2022
Following the command to refire engines, Power's No. 12 Chevy would not start despite thorough efforts from his crew.
—Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 14 June 2021
By all means, mash fiction into sludge and refire it into something new.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2022
Both contenders lost significant time, as their teams tried to refire their cars and then make an extra stop to fully refuel.
—Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 30 May 2021
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.
Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 17 June 2021
There is a lot of passion associated with Maserati, and the new QP may refire those passions.
—K.c. Colwell, Car and Driver, 4 Apr. 2023
But the one song Pippa needs to refire Jane’s career remains elusive, and now Jonesy, the Mark Ronson-meets-Dr. Luke Svengali who wrote Jane’s hit, reemerges with the promise of a comeback at a big arena gig of the kind that the Bangles themselves might have played in 1986.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2023
As the Mouse House moves forward without its visionary leader, Chapek must refire the creative engines to grow Disney+.
—Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2022
Following the command to refire engines, Power's No. 12 Chevy would not start despite thorough efforts from his crew.
—Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 14 June 2021
By all means, mash fiction into sludge and refire it into something new.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2022
Both contenders lost significant time, as their teams tried to refire their cars and then make an extra stop to fully refuel.
—Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 30 May 2021
Cite this Entry
“Refire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refire. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share