rewire

verb

re·​wire (ˌ)rē-ˈwī(-ə)r 

rewired; rewiring

transitive verb

1

: to provide or connect (something) with wire again

especially : to replace the electrical wiring of (something, such as a building or electronic device)

rewired the house

rewire a circuit board

2

: to make lasting and usually beneficial changes to the neurological or psychological functioning of (a person or brain)

—not used technically

The injured brain, moreover, can rewire itself.

—Joan Didion

Not only do studies show that meditation is boosting their immune system, but brain scans suggest that it may be rewiring their brains to reduce stress.

—Joel Stein

… nearly nine out of 10 adult smokers started smoking by age 18; nicotine can rewire youths' brains, making heroin and other opioids even more addictive.

—Delia DeRiggiWhitton

Can you rewire yourself? I went back through pivotal points in my life, when one should be happy.

—Kim Korson

Examples of rewire in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That laid the foundation for modern AI and led the organization to eventually power much of the world’s AI factories and infrastructure, rewiring industry, technology, and aspects of society. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 June 2025

The fear is more like a soft surge of dread, as if my synapses had been been rewired to the thrusting strings of John Williams' famous theme. —Tom Gliatto, People.com, 21 June 2025

More important, the extent of the AI industry’s new ambitions—to rewire not just the web, but also the economy, education, and even the workings of government with a single technology—magnifies any flaw to the same scale. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 18 June 2025

New science suggests that inappropriate stress responses can rewire the brain, and that decreasing stress can have a very positive effect on cognition. —John Werner, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rewire

• briar
• brier
• buyer
• choir
• crier
• cryer
• drier
• dryer
• eyer
• flier
• flyer
• friar