rebuild

Definition of rebuildnext

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb rebuild contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of rebuild are mend, patch, and repair. While all these words mean "to put into good order something that is injured, damaged, or defective," rebuild suggests making like new without completely replacing.

a rebuilt automobile engine

When would mend be a good substitute for rebuild?

The synonyms mend and rebuild are sometimes interchangeable, but mend implies making whole or sound something broken, torn, or injured.

mended the torn dress

Where would patch be a reasonable alternative to rebuild?

The meanings of patch and rebuild largely overlap; however, patch implies an often temporary fixing of a hole or break with new material.

patch worn jeans

When could repair be used to replace rebuild?

In some situations, the words repair and rebuild are roughly equivalent. However, repair applies to the fixing of more extensive damage or dilapidation.

repaired the back steps

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rebuild The memorandum commits the parties to cooperation on economic policy, renewable energy and rebuilding ties with the European Union, among other areas. Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026 Perhaps none of that matters, and Lekkerimäki is ready to grab the bull by the horns and log major minutes for a rebuilding team that’s in desperate need of creativity and skill on the wings. Thomas Drance, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Earlier, Renshaw rebuilt Australia from a tricky 107-4 in the 18th over by sharing partnerships of 72 and 74 runs with Alex Carey (27) and Oliver Peake (30) after captain Mitchell Marsh won the toss and elected to bat. ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026 This is a long season of your day-to-day life falling apart and rebuilding itself simultaneously, Virgo. Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rebuild
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebuild
Verb
  • From Mexico, Morales García could do little more than wait while his attorneys tried to reconstruct the paper trail of his life.
    María Luisa Paúl, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Creating an accurate transcript, pairing it with a concise summary and storing both in a consistent, searchable system allows future teams to build on previous thinking rather than reconstruct it.
    Beth Worthy, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Construction crews are also working with the city of Sacramento to rehabilitate parking lots and sidewalks under the highway between W and X streets.
    Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Gross-Matos is currently rehabilitating from that knee injury and isn’t ready to play.
    Matt Barrows, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The latest shutoffs came hours after PG&E restored electricity to all customers affected by a previous round of outages over the weekend.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The bill would restore the NCAA’s one-time transfer exception, which lasted only from 2021 to 2023 before a judge blocked it.
    Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rebuild.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebuild. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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