retool

verb

re·​tool (ˌ)rē-ˈtül 

retooled; retooling; retools

transitive verb

1

: to reequip with tools

2

: reorganize

3

: revise, modify

intransitive verb

: to make especially minor changes or improvements

retool for the future

Examples of retool in a Sentence

The factory has been retooled.

The company is retooling its sales strategies.

The company is retooling for the future.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Bravo series retooled its cast after concluding its Season 15 reunion in February 2025. — Erin Jensen, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

Now the Rangers are opting to retool instead of rebuild, which will likely cap the upside of their evolving feeder program. — Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

The plant still needs to be retooled to produce a vehicle — a process that has stalled since Stellantis announcement that the Compass would be built in the United States last year. — Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2026

To comply, states would have to retool their processes for printing and mailing ballots, a potentially expensive process that might be difficult to achieve quickly. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for retool

• ampoule
• bascule
• carpool
• cesspool
• ferrule
• footstool
• guayule
• lobule
• misrule
• preschool
• pustule
• whirlpool

Kids Definition

retool

verb

re·​tool (ˈ)rē-ˈtül 

1

: to equip again with new or different tools

retool a factory

2

: to make changes or improvements to

retool that idea