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
The administration filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court on Monday seeking to let the president refire her.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 29 Oct. 2025
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
But after Will Power came to a stop in pitlane, his car failed to refire.
—Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 17 June 2021
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Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 29 Oct. 2025
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
But after Will Power came to a stop in pitlane, his car failed to refire.
—Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 17 June 2021
Cite this Entry
“Refire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refire. Accessed 24 Nov. 2025.
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