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re·write
(ˌ)rē-ˈrīt 
rewrote
(ˌ)rē-ˈrōt
; rewritten
(ˌ)rē-ˈri-tᵊn
; rewriting
(ˌ)rē-ˈrī-tiŋ
; rewritten
(ˌ)rē-ˈri-tᵊn
; rewriting
(ˌ)rē-ˈrī-tiŋ
: to revise something previously written
rewriter
noun
Example Sentences
Verb
The teacher asked him to rewrite the essay.
I had to rewrite the computer program.
Recent Examples on the Web
Scott Miller, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2022
Going back forces George to face his past in his quest to rewrite the script of his life and discover the contribution of African influences to the realist tradition.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 16 June 2022
Equipped with new technologies and agility, businesses have the opportunity to rewrite the playbook and adapt for the future.
—Laura Lebleu, Forbes, 26 May 2022
The secretary of state, working with the governor and attorney general, has broad authority to rewrite the state’s election rules and plays a role in the certification of results.
—Bob Christie, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Nov. 2022
The challengers to Harvard and UNC urge the court not just to rewrite its rules on race but to overturn O’Connor’s ruling in Grutter v. Bollinger.
—Robert Barnes, Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2022
The smartest insight and analysis, from all perspectives, rounded up from around the web: The Biden administration wants to rewrite the rules of the gig economy, said Noah Rothman at MSNBC.
—The Week Staff, The Week, 29 Oct. 2022
Triton’s Project Hercules, a concept unveiled at the Monaco Yacht Show, promises to rewrite the rules of design for mini-subs.
—Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2022
That said, even if Democrats now want to rewrite the legislative history, what ultimately matters is what is in the actual text that Congress voted on.
—The Editors, National Review, 13 Oct. 2022
Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Dec. 2022
The demonstrations have gathered momentum since Castillo’s ouster on Dec. 7, as his supporters call for his release from the police base where he is being detained, the dissolution of congress, early elections and a constitutional rewrite.
—Walter Brandimarte And Stephan Kueffner, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Dec. 2022
But Atlanta’stree ordinance has not undergone a wholesale rewrite since 2001, and the last significant updates were passed roughly 15 years ago, around the time the Great Recession began.
—Drew Kann, ajc, 6 Dec. 2022
That meant a page one rewrite for the project, which had labored in the screenwriting phase.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2022
Like the Thunderbolts plot rewrite rumors, these villain rumors can’t be confirmed at this time.
—Chris Smith, BGR, 21 Nov. 2022
In each case, those small changes could necessitate a full-scale rewrite of a cheat engine to account for the new memory locations of crucial information.
—Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 17 Nov. 2022
In 1973, voters ratified Amendment 328, a rewrite of Article VI, the judicial article, authored by then-Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Howell Heflin.
—Mike Cason | Mcason@al.com, al, 31 July 2022
This is not a rewrite of some open source Minecraft clone, which likely would violate the EULA or still risk legal action, this is entirely from the ground up.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 25 July 2022
See More
Verb
But to do so literally is to rewrite history and reauthor events that too many people witnessed and watched happen, and modern baseball has steadfastly declined to do that.
—Scott Miller, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2022
Going back forces George to face his past in his quest to rewrite the script of his life and discover the contribution of African influences to the realist tradition.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 16 June 2022
Equipped with new technologies and agility, businesses have the opportunity to rewrite the playbook and adapt for the future.
—Laura Lebleu, Forbes, 26 May 2022
The secretary of state, working with the governor and attorney general, has broad authority to rewrite the state’s election rules and plays a role in the certification of results.
—Bob Christie, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Nov. 2022
The challengers to Harvard and UNC urge the court not just to rewrite its rules on race but to overturn O’Connor’s ruling in Grutter v. Bollinger.
—Robert Barnes, Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2022
The smartest insight and analysis, from all perspectives, rounded up from around the web: The Biden administration wants to rewrite the rules of the gig economy, said Noah Rothman at MSNBC.
—The Week Staff, The Week, 29 Oct. 2022
Triton’s Project Hercules, a concept unveiled at the Monaco Yacht Show, promises to rewrite the rules of design for mini-subs.
—Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2022
That said, even if Democrats now want to rewrite the legislative history, what ultimately matters is what is in the actual text that Congress voted on.
—The Editors, National Review, 13 Oct. 2022
Noun
The Celtics’ road trip ending got a Hollywood rewrite.
—Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Dec. 2022
The demonstrations have gathered momentum since Castillo’s ouster on Dec. 7, as his supporters call for his release from the police base where he is being detained, the dissolution of congress, early elections and a constitutional rewrite.
—Walter Brandimarte And Stephan Kueffner, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Dec. 2022
But Atlanta’stree ordinance has not undergone a wholesale rewrite since 2001, and the last significant updates were passed roughly 15 years ago, around the time the Great Recession began.
—Drew Kann, ajc, 6 Dec. 2022
That meant a page one rewrite for the project, which had labored in the screenwriting phase.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2022
Like the Thunderbolts plot rewrite rumors, these villain rumors can’t be confirmed at this time.
—Chris Smith, BGR, 21 Nov. 2022
In each case, those small changes could necessitate a full-scale rewrite of a cheat engine to account for the new memory locations of crucial information.
—Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 17 Nov. 2022
In 1973, voters ratified Amendment 328, a rewrite of Article VI, the judicial article, authored by then-Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Howell Heflin.
—Mike Cason | Mcason@al.com, al, 31 July 2022
This is not a rewrite of some open source Minecraft clone, which likely would violate the EULA or still risk legal action, this is entirely from the ground up.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 25 July 2022
See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rewrite.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Word History
First Known Use
Verb
1567, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun
1901, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing rewrite
Dictionary Entries Near rewrite
Cite this Entry
“Rewrite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rewrite. Accessed 30 Jan. 2023.
More from Merriam-Webster on rewrite
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for rewrite
Nglish: Translation of rewrite for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of rewrite for Arabic Speakers
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