reverse engineer
verb
reverse engineered; reverse engineering; reverse engineers
: to disassemble and examine or analyze in detail (a product or device) to discover the concepts involved in manufacture usually in order to produce something similar
reverse engineering
noun
Examples of reverse engineer in a Sentence
They reverse engineered the software.
Recent Examples on the Web
But that other supplier would have to try to reverse engineer that particular dye—formulas for dyes and colorants were, in spite of being in service to the war effort, still proprietary—and backward engineering color from a finished product is a crapshoot.
—
Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
In all, there’s no smoking guns here, but the leak provides an intriguing peek behind the curtain — as well as easy fodder for any competitors looking to reverse engineer the company’s tech.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 1 Apr. 2026
But that other supplier would have to try to reverse engineer that particular dye — formulas for dyes and colorants were, in spite of being in service to the war effort, still proprietary — and backward engineering color from a finished product is a crapshoot.
—Kory Stamper, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
The adaptation was always going to invite comparisons to the original, of course, and the producers’ instincts to try to replicate its format and sensibilities wholesale to reverse engineer its success are understandable.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reverse engineer
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Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
In all, there’s no smoking guns here, but the leak provides an intriguing peek behind the curtain — as well as easy fodder for any competitors looking to reverse engineer the company’s tech.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 1 Apr. 2026
But that other supplier would have to try to reverse engineer that particular dye — formulas for dyes and colorants were, in spite of being in service to the war effort, still proprietary — and backward engineering color from a finished product is a crapshoot.
—Kory Stamper, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
The adaptation was always going to invite comparisons to the original, of course, and the producers’ instincts to try to replicate its format and sensibilities wholesale to reverse engineer its success are understandable.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reverse engineer
Cite this Entry
“Reverse engineer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reverse%20engineer. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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