reoccupy

verb

re·​oc·​cu·​py (ˌ)rē-ˈä-kyə-ˌpī 

reoccupied; reoccupying

transitive verb

: to occupy (a place) again : to take possession of or settle in (a place) after having relinquished it

We do temporary roofing to allow people to reoccupy their homes.

—Carl Strock

Some time between A.D. 1150 and 1200, Chaco Canyon was virtually abandoned and remained largely empty until Navajo sheepherders reoccupied it 600 years later.

—Jared Diamond

reoccupation

(ˌ)rē-ˌä-kyə-ˈpā-shən 

noun

plural reoccupations

The plan called for an assault west from Quang Tri along Highway 9, then the reoccupation of Khe Sanh—abandoned after a 1968 siege—followed by the capture of Tchepone …

—Steve Liewer

Examples of reoccupy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Leaving Israel for Saudi Arabia after talks with Netanyahu, Blinken said the Israeli leader had assured him that the plan for settlers to reoccupy northern Gaza was not his government’s policy. —Andrea Mitchell, NBC News, 28 Oct. 2024

Belgium responded by sending forces to reoccupy the country and helping Congo’s richest province, Katanga, secede. —Stephen R. Weissman, Foreign Affairs, 16 June 2014

An estimated 70 people have been displaced from the apartment building while the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety evaluates the residence to determine which units are safe to reoccupy. —Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2024

Both have rejected any proposal to include the Palestinian Authority in the future governance of Gaza and called for Israel to permanently reoccupy the enclave after the war. —Steve Hendrix, Washington Post, 18 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1626, in the meaning defined above