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

The couple appeared to rekindle their romance, exchanging loving messages promising to try to make the relationship work again …

—Sarah Ward

"… You get a chance to meet up with people and rekindle memories … "

—Paul O'Connell

Its election offered an example of how to rekindle interest in politics …

—Vrasidas Karalis

Her story is one of those great stories of love, commitment and perseverance that rekindle your hope for humanity …

—Kimberly Fletcher

2

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

Synonyms of rekindle

• revive
• resurrect
• renew

Examples of rekindle in a Sentence

the trip to Ireland rekindled her interest in learning Gaelic

Recent Examples on the Web

Thanks to a nine-game winning streak nobody saw coming, the Boston Red Sox have rekindled one of big-league baseball’s favorite sum-sum-summertime parlor games. — Steve Buckley, New York Times, 17 July 2026

The jump in crude also rekindled inflation concerns, pushing the 10-year Treasury yield to its highest level since May. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 11 July 2026

Prices go up when fighting rekindles or the strait is closed, and drop when peace talks resume. — Joe Hernandez, NPR, 9 July 2026

After a group stage exit in 2022 in Qatar, Belgium has rekindled that magic from the 2014 and 2018 teams. — Damian Calhoun, Oc Register, 9 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rekindle

• brindle
• dwindle
• grindal
• grindle
• kindle
• spindle
• swindle
• windle