reinvent the wheel

idiom

informal
: to waste time trying to do something that has already been done successfully by someone else

Examples of reinvent the wheel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Use Dryer Sheets There’s no need to always reinvent the wheel. Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2025 And while a business owner may decide to establish their own foundation, why reinvent the wheel? Alex Amouyel, Fortune, 7 Dec. 2025 Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, Ready or Not 2 mostly seems to be doing, well, hide and seek all over again. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2025 These guys always wanna act like let’s reinvent the wheel. Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for reinvent the wheel

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reinvent the wheel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reinvent%20the%20wheel. Accessed 22 Dec. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on reinvent the wheel

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!