rebuild

Formsrebuilds, rebuilding, rebuilt

Pluralrebuilds

1. 1
   verbtransitive or intransitive

   To build something again, or to construct it anew.

   Volunteers helped rebuild homes destroyed by the hurricane.

   The cathedral was rebuilt twice after fires gutted it.

   Similarreconstruct, reassemble

   Note

   Communities can be rebuilt as well as buildings, and the verb can stand without an object. Ashley Vaughan's 2021 piece remembering Black Wall Street says the people of Tulsa's Greenwood community "rebounded and rebuilt." Used this way, it means restoring a whole way of life rather than a single structure. Like build, it takes the irregular past form rebuilt, never rebuilded.

2. 2
   nouncountable

   A process of constructing something again, or the result of that effort.

   The mechanic quoted three weeks for a complete engine rebuild.

   Classic motorcycle rebuilds often take months of careful work.

   Similarreconstruction, reassembly, remake

   Note

   This is the workshop noun, used for an engine, a locomotive or a vintage aircraft that has been stripped down and put back together. It counts like any noun: a finished rebuild, locomotive rebuilds, the cost of the rebuild. It can name the job while it is underway or the machine that comes out of it. Reassembly is a near synonym, but a rebuild, with its crankshaft and bearing work, often means renewing parts too. Source

   Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 1 fact

   • Engine rebuilding can involve dismantling and reassembly, renewing parts, and crankshaft and bearing work. aa1car.com
3. 3
   verbfigurativelyintransitive

   To try to recover from poor performance while still struggling.

   The franchise chose to rebuild rather than chase quick wins.

   The firm is rebuilding after last year's scandal damaged its reputation.

   Similarregroup, recover, retool

4. 4
   nounfigurativelycountable

   A period during which a struggling sports team attempts to improve its performance.

   Fans grew restless three seasons into the rebuild.

   The general manager described the roster moves as part of a long-term rebuild.

   Similarreboot

   Note

   Sports writing turns the builder's word into a season plan: a team that keeps missing the playoffs goes through a rebuild, often a lengthy or long-term one. It usually means trading established veterans for draft picks and young prospects, accepting losses now for strength later. Reboot serves as a synonym. The noun pairs with the struggling-team verb, so a club in a rebuild is also said to be rebuilding.

Showing meanings only. Show all 4