rehome

verb

re·​home (ˌ)rē-ˈhōm 

rehomed; rehoming; rehomes

transitive verb

: to provide (someone or something) with a different home or location : relocate

The goal is to rehome unused crafting materials that are in good condition so they don't end up in the landfill or collect dust in a drawer.

—Maria Lockwood

… the St. Petersburg couple has made a career out of saving bees, running a removal service and nonprofit organization full time. Noble Nectar Apiaries removes the flying critters and rehomes them as an alternative to extermination.

—Selene San Felice

: such as

a

: to transfer ownership or possession of (an animal and especially a pet)

Social media is full of posts from people who say they're rehoming their pet. They claim they're not home enough to give them the kind of life they deserve.

—John Moore

Cats continue to prowl the Queens' Marketplace despite efforts by advocacy groups to rehome 98 feral felines last year.

—Kelsey Walling

b

: to establish (someone, such as a refugee or displaced person) in a new home or location

The International Rescue Committee, a global organization that rehomes refugees, is helping settle around 100 refugees in Iowa City over the next couple of months after opening an Iowa City office late last year.

—The Daily Iowan (University of Iowa)

… a concert will raise the funds needed to rehome Monona [Wisconsin] residents displaced by fire in mid March.

—Roberta Baumann

rehoming noun

Rehoming allows your pet to transition from one home to another, bypassing the stress of a shelter.

—Sarah A. Neikam

Examples of rehome in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When in doubt, advise adopters to move plants out of reach or rehome them entirely. —Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026

McMahon has been a vocal advocate for rehoming all or parts of the student debt portfolio to Treasury under Secretary Scott Bessent. —Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026

Animal welfare officials note that roosters seized from fighting operations are often aggressive and difficult to rehome. —Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Feb. 2026

Nichole Golden, shelter manager for Kerr County Animal Services, said people taking advantage of the limited resources available negatively affected rehoming and reunification efforts during the first week of recovery. —Lesdy Hernandez, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026

If a family can no longer care for a fish, the experts encourage rehoming through rescue groups or consulting a fish veterinarian. —Sierra Leone Starks, Parents, 10 Feb. 2026

People who cannot afford the cost or lack the time to provide their dogs with the veterinary care required may choose to euthanize, give their dogs to someone else – known as rehoming – or surrender them to shelters. —David L. Weimer, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026

The goal of Anantara’s Bali Starling Conservation Project is to rehome a pair in the forest around the resort, with more to be introduced in the future. —Hannah Walhout, Travel + Leisure, 30 Dec. 2025

O'Regan said the team has been working to rebuild the dogs' confidence and skills to improve their chances of being rehomed. —Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rehome

• biome
• genome
• megohm
• nichrome
• noisome
• prodrome
• radome
• rhizome
• shalom
• syndrome
• acrosome
• aerodrome