rehab

noun, often attributive re·hab \ ˈrē-ˌhab \

Definition of rehab

1 :the action or process of rehabilitating :rehabilitation; especially :a program for rehabilitating especially drug or alcohol abusers

2 :a rehabilitated building or dwelling

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rehab

verb

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rehabber

play \-ˌha-bər\ noun

See rehab defined for English-language learners

Examples of rehab in a Sentence

The rehab for his leg injury is going well.
the accident victim had to undergo months of rehab before she could walk again

Recent Examples of rehab from the Web

Meanwhile, Russell started his minor league rehab assignment with the Iowa Cubs in Memphis on Monday night.

— phil thompson, chicagotribune.com, "Addison Russell's divorce case moved to Florida from Cook County," 29 Aug. 2017
Barnes did not pitch rehab games in any other venue before being sent to Hartford.

— john altavilla, courant.com, "Red Sox Reliever Matt Barnes Pitches Scoreless Inning In Hartford Vs. Yard Goats," 29 Aug. 2017
CHICAGO (AP) — Three times a week, Rita Driscoll steps onto a treadmill at a Minnesota hospital under the eye of a rehab therapist.

— carla k. johnson, The Seattle Times, "Medicare to foot the bill for treadmill therapy for leg pain," 28 Aug. 2017
Wheeler’s update was included alongside brief ones about Harvey, who will make a rehabilitation start on Saturday in Class A, and Syndergaard, who headed to Florida to continue his rehab from a muscle injury that has cost him most of the season.

— seth berkman, New York Times, "Mets Provide Injury Updates, Then Add Michael Conforto to the List," 24 Aug. 2017
This gives physical therapists a tool to potentially make the rehab process more efficient.

— emily matchar, Smithsonian, "This Robotic Harness Could Help People Relearn to Walk After Injury," 7 Aug. 2017
Now, the debate over whether to try rehab or have definitive surgery.

— profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Tannehill tried rehab, now it's time for reconstruction," 4 Aug. 2017
The programs can reduce the risks of heart attack more than standard rehab.

— liz szabo, Kaiser Health News, "Depression Among Heart Attack Survivors Can Be Deadly, Yet Is Often Ignored," 20 July 2017
Trainer's Room Mets 2B Neil Walker is expected to begin a rehab assignment on Friday with Triple-A Las Vegas.

— adry torres, courant.com, "DeGrom wins seventh straight start, Mets top Cardinals 7-3," 20 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rehab.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of rehab

short for rehabilitation or rehabilitate

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1941

See Words from the same year

rehab Synonyms

Synonyms

comeback, healing, mending, rally, recovery, recuperation, convalescence, rehabilitation, snapback

Related Words

resuscitation, revival; survival

Near Antonyms

decline, degeneration, deterioration, fading, failing, languishing, sinking, wasting (away), weakening, wilting, withering, worsening; regression, relapse

REHAB Defined for English Language Learners

rehab

noun

Definition of rehab for English Language Learners

: a program for helping people who have problems with drugs, alcohol, etc.
: the process of helping someone (such as an injured patient or a drug user) to become healthy again : the process of rehabilitating someone