reverse-engineer

Formsreverse-engineers, reverse-engineering, reverse-engineered

Pluralreverse-engineers

1. 1
   verbtransitive

   To figure out how something was made by taking it apart and studying it closely.

   Like taking apart a toy to see how it works, then building your own.

   Engineers reverse-engineer competitors' gadgets to learn how they work.

   The team reverse-engineered the old machine to rebuild its missing parts.

   Similardeconstruct

   Note
2. 2
   verbtransitive

   To build or change something so it matches an intended goal more closely.

   The writers already know how the story ends, so they reverse-engineer each chapter to lead there.

   The crew reverse-engineered their process to fit the new safety rules.

   Note
3. 3
   nouncountable

   Someone whose job is to study products and figure out how they were made.

   Like a detective who works out how something was built just by examining it.

   The company hired a reverse-engineer to study the rival's product.

   Skilled reverse-engineers can copy a gadget after taking it apart.

   Note

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