rekindle
verb
re·kin·dle
ˌrē-ˈkin-dᵊl 
rekindled; rekindling
1
transitive
: to kindle (something) again
rekindle a fire
On the way the torch went out, and we took shelter in a small and lonely Christian chapel to rekindle it.—
Robert Louis Stevenson
: to start or stir up (something) again
Robert Louis StevensonThe couple appeared to rekindle their romance, exchanging loving messages promising to try to make the relationship work again …—Sarah Ward
Sarah Ward"… You get a chance to meet up with people and rekindle memories … "—Paul O'Connell
Paul O'ConnellIts election offered an example of how to rekindle interest in politics …—Vrasidas Karalis
Vrasidas KaralisHer story is one of those great stories of love, commitment and perseverance that rekindle your hope for humanity …—Kimberly Fletcher
Kimberly Fletcher2
intransitive
: to begin to burn again : to flare up again
Firefighters were called back to the scene around 6 a.m. when the flames rekindled.—Mike Hasch
Mike HaschExamples of rekindle in a Sentence
the trip to Ireland rekindled her interest in learning Gaelic
Recent Examples on the Web
The pair rekindle their relationship and marry – only for things to fall apart again.
—Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 21 Jan. 2026
The pair spoke with PEOPLE in 2023, after reuniting for Good Burger 2, about rekindling their friendship after growing distant as adults.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
In bioethics, emerging technologies often rekindle prior discourse.
—Zubin Master, STAT, 20 Jan. 2026
In a bid to rekindle the couple’s honeymoon phase, Yasmin troubleshoots by wheedling a chief executive role for him at payment processing company Tender (run by Max Minghella‘s inscrutable puppet-master Whitney Halberstram), and throwing her husband a lavish costume party for his 40th birthday.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rekindle
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.
Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 21 Jan. 2026
The pair spoke with PEOPLE in 2023, after reuniting for Good Burger 2, about rekindling their friendship after growing distant as adults.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
In bioethics, emerging technologies often rekindle prior discourse.
—Zubin Master, STAT, 20 Jan. 2026
In a bid to rekindle the couple’s honeymoon phase, Yasmin troubleshoots by wheedling a chief executive role for him at payment processing company Tender (run by Max Minghella‘s inscrutable puppet-master Whitney Halberstram), and throwing her husband a lavish costume party for his 40th birthday.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rekindle
Cite this Entry
“Rekindle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rekindle. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
