as in rebuilding
to provide (something) with new parts that were not available when it was originally built
The factory has been retrofitted to meet the new safety regulations. We can retrofit your car with the new fuel system.
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Recent Examples of retrofitting
To buy time, Scripps seems to be relying on safety in numbers, understanding that, while major investments have been made in building new or retrofitting existing California hospitals in recent decades, there are still plenty that will not be fully compliant by the deadline.
—
Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2025
In some states, programs such as California’s Wildfire Prepared Home program offer retrofitting rebates for wildfire protection.
—Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Sep. 2025
That would include applying protective stone along vulnerable shorelines, retrofitting plumbing and electrical throughout the town and raising the system of one-lane roads for transportation.
—Julie Depenbrock, NPR, 22 Sep. 2025
With 100,000 large vessels in operation globally, retrofitting is a huge opportunity.
—Michaila Byrne, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
To meet this demand, airlines are retrofitting planes to add more premium cabin space.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
This prevents the common mistake of retrofitting security onto AI systems after deployment.
—Vinod Bijlani, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
New financial players such as Venmo are now offering debit cards, retrofitting them with reward programs and marketing them heavily.
—Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
In recent years, thieves have pulled off elaborate heists of rare, million-dollar collectible cars, sometimes smuggling them out of their country of origin, retrofitting them with fake paperwork, and reselling them on the international market.
—Stayton Bonner, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2025
Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2025
In some states, programs such as California’s Wildfire Prepared Home program offer retrofitting rebates for wildfire protection.
—Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Sep. 2025
That would include applying protective stone along vulnerable shorelines, retrofitting plumbing and electrical throughout the town and raising the system of one-lane roads for transportation.
—Julie Depenbrock, NPR, 22 Sep. 2025
With 100,000 large vessels in operation globally, retrofitting is a huge opportunity.
—Michaila Byrne, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
To meet this demand, airlines are retrofitting planes to add more premium cabin space.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
This prevents the common mistake of retrofitting security onto AI systems after deployment.
—Vinod Bijlani, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
New financial players such as Venmo are now offering debit cards, retrofitting them with reward programs and marketing them heavily.
—Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
In recent years, thieves have pulled off elaborate heists of rare, million-dollar collectible cars, sometimes smuggling them out of their country of origin, retrofitting them with fake paperwork, and reselling them on the international market.
—Stayton Bonner, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retrofitting
Verb
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Payouts weren’t enough to cover sufficient temporary housing, let alone rebuilding.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
26 Sep. 2025
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Ervér has made rebuilding the brand cool factor for its flagship label H&M and speeding up time to market some of his top priorities, including the unusual step of giving more creative control to suppliers.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The updates also underscore NVIDIA’s ambition to define the standard platform for building general-purpose robots, especially humanoids, which demand precise physics and complex reasoning to function in human environments.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Sep. 2025
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Lilly is also committed to building new facilities at the LEAP Innovation District, including the first-of-its-kind Lilly Medicine Foundry, in Lebanon and expanding existing facilities in Indianapolis as well as new sites in North Carolina and Wisconsin.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Retrofitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retrofitting. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.
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