retool

verb

re·​tool (ˌ)rē-ˈtül 

retooled; retooling; retools

transitive verb

1

: to reequip with tools

2

: reorganize

3

: revise, modify

intransitive verb

: to make especially minor changes or improvements

retool for the future

Examples of retool in a Sentence

The factory has been retooled.

The company is retooling its sales strategies.

The company is retooling for the future.

Recent Examples on the Web

Algorithms that process traditional radar data should also be retooled so that legacy air traffic control infrastructure can better track drones. —Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025

The Post is retooling its politics staff post to cover the Trump administration and announced this month that a new division of the company, WP Ventures, would focus on experimental new journalism. —Benjamin Mullin, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024

For this project, the creative reimagined some of his previous images by cropping, recoloring and retooling them. —Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 9 Dec. 2024

Disney fired Majors after he was convicted and retooled phase six. —Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

retool

verb

re·​tool (ˈ)rē-ˈtül 

1

: to equip again with new or different tools

retool a factory

2

: to make changes or improvements to

retool that idea