rewrite

verb re·write \ (ˌ)rē-ˈrīt \

|Updated on: 5 Aug 2018

Examples: rewrite in a Sentence

Definition of rewrite

rewrote play \(ˌ)rē-ˈrōt\; rewritten play \(ˌ)rē-ˈri-tᵊn\; rewriting play \(ˌ)rē-ˈrī-tiŋ\

transitive verb

1 : to write in reply

2 : to make a revision of (something, such as a story) : cause to be revised: such as

a : to put (contributed material) into form for publication

b : to alter (previously published material) for use in another publication

intransitive verb

: to revise something previously written

—

rewriter

noun

See rewrite defined for English-language learners

See rewrite defined for kids

Examples of rewrite in a Sentence

The teacher asked him to rewrite the essay.
I had to rewrite the computer program.

Recent Examples of rewrite from the Web

Governor Scott Walker signed a bill in 2013 that rewrote the law and made any challenges more complicated.

— jr radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Here's why the Potawatomi sign on Miller Park's outfield wall is covered up this weekend," 6 July 2018
The new superbody has carte blanche to rewrite the country’s constitution and expand his executive powers.

— alex ward, Vox, "We need to talk about the fact that Trump seriously considered invading Venezuela," 6 July 2018
The Trump administration already was sprinting to get the rules rewritten and through court challenges before the next presidential election.

— evan halper, latimes.com, "Embattled EPA chief Scott Pruitt resigns amid scandals," 5 July 2018
The new findings don’t exactly rewrite the story of human hand evolution.

— meilan solly, Smithsonian, "Did the Human Hand Evolve as a Lean Mean Bone-Smashing Machine?," 13 July 2018
By the time Sam Mendes saw a five-hour Italian version directed by his mentor, Luca Ronconi, in Milan two years later, it had also been translated into German and rewritten by Mr Massini as a novel.

— The Economist, "On stage, the saga of the Lehman brothers is a parable of America," 12 July 2018
The narratives frame famous creative women in relation to their domestic roles, rather than their artistic ones, rewriting their achievements as failures.

— katherine fusco, The Atlantic, "Hereditary and the Monstrousness of Creative Moms," 11 July 2018
Gray-Kontar helped bring home the title in 1994, when his poetry career was taking flight and Cleveland was just beginning to rewrite its own gritty narrative of Rust Belt decline.

— christopher johnston, The Christian Science Monitor, "Cleveland uses literature to empower youth, overcome social divides," 9 July 2018
Trump campaigned on a pledge to rewrite trade agreements and crack down on China, Mexico and other countries.

— christopher rugaber, The Seattle Times, "Trump’s tariffs: What they are and how they will work," 9 July 2018

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.

First Known Use of rewrite

1567

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

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rewrite

noun re·write \ ˈrē-ˌrīt \

Definition of rewrite

1 : a piece of writing (such as a news story) constructed by rewriting

2 : an act or instance of rewriting

Recent Examples of rewrite from the Web

But then, of course, the rewrite process is the opposite of that.

— james hebert, sandiegouniontribune.com, "La Jolla Playhouse going out on a limb with world-premiere Robert Askins comedy 'The Squirrels'," 1 June 2018
So Michael Saltzman did a rewrite to try and appease them.

— will harris, HWD, "Carol Burnett Wants to Be Left Alone (by Network Execs)," 4 May 2018
The measure marks the first significant rewrite of financial rules since the passage of the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform law.

— NBC News, "U.S. Senate approves bill rewriting post-crisis bank rules," 14 Mar. 2018
The radio industry generally is dealing with a crisis of its own making after station groups gorged on debt to build themselves into big corporations after the 1996 rewrite of the federal telecommunications laws.

— bob fernandez, Philly.com, "Entercom faces weak revenue as it swallows CBS Radio," 8 Mar. 2018
An earlier version of the plan, released two years ago, elicited loud criticism from farmers and city officials, who said the rewrite of the water allocations would lead to economic mayhem.

— dale kasler, sacbee, "California has a new plan for allocating its water, and it means less for farmers," 6 July 2018
The bill, if passed, would be one of the most significant rewrites of financial industry rules in nearly a decade.

— emily stewart, Vox, "Congress finally found something it can agree on: helping banks," 21 May 2018
Hold out for full Nafta rewrite: Trade negotiations are notorious for breaking deadlines, and the Nafta talks got off to a slow start last year, with major progress on rules for the auto industry only coming in recent months.

— william mauldin, WSJ, "As Nafta Deadline Nears, Four Scenarios That Could Unfold," 15 May 2018
The House approved the rewrite in its own vote Friday.

— nathaniel herz, Anchorage Daily News, "Do you smoke? Work for an oil company? Care about crime? Alaska lawmakers just passed bills that could affect you," 13 May 2018

First Known Use of rewrite

1901

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

REWRITE Defined for English Language Learners

rewrite

verb

Definition of rewrite for English Language Learners

: to write (something) again especially in a different way in order to improve it or to include new information

REWRITE Defined for Kids

rewrite

verb re·write \ ˌrē-ˈrīt \

Definition of rewrite for Students

rewrote \-ˈrōt\; rewritten \-ˈri-tᵊn\; rewriting \-ˈrī-tiŋ\

: to write over again especially in a different way

Rewrite this confusing sentence.

Learn More about rewrite

See words that rhyme with rewrite Spanish Central: Translation of rewrite Nglish: Translation of rewrite for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of rewrite for Arabic speakers

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rewrite

Definition of rewrite

rewriter

Examples of rewrite in a Sentence

Recent Examples of rewrite from the Web

First Known Use of rewrite

rewrite

Definition of rewrite

Recent Examples of rewrite from the Web

First Known Use of rewrite

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REWRITE Defined for English Language Learners

rewrite

Definition of rewrite for English Language Learners

REWRITE Defined for Kids

rewrite

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