rebuild

Definition of rebuildnext

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb rebuild contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of rebuild are mend, patch, and repair. While all these words mean "to put into good order something that is injured, damaged, or defective," rebuild suggests making like new without completely replacing.

a rebuilt automobile engine

When would mend be a good substitute for rebuild?

The synonyms mend and rebuild are sometimes interchangeable, but mend implies making whole or sound something broken, torn, or injured.

mended the torn dress

Where would patch be a reasonable alternative to rebuild?

The meanings of patch and rebuild largely overlap; however, patch implies an often temporary fixing of a hole or break with new material.

patch worn jeans

When could repair be used to replace rebuild?

In some situations, the words repair and rebuild are roughly equivalent. However, repair applies to the fixing of more extensive damage or dilapidation.

repaired the back steps

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rebuild Having one or two of them live up to draft-day expectations, or exceed draft-day expectations, likely moves the Dolphins’ rebuild ahead of the curve. Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026 Wade rebuilt his career with a two-year stint at McNeese that included 50 wins and two trips to March Madness. ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026 Local advocacy group City Park Friends and Neighbors quickly launched a restoration fund for community members who want to donate to repair or rebuild the bandstand. Katie Langford, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026 Only when a minority of firms started rebuilding their businesses around the web did the ground really shift under everyone else. Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rebuild
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebuild
Verb
  • All four are gone, leaving Mirabal to reconstruct a unit that added only one Power 4 transfer, Jamal Meriweather, who logged just 59 offensive snaps in three years at Georgia.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Those ball-tracking cameras capture up to 300 frames per second, allowing the system to precisely locate each pitch within the strike zone and reconstruct its path.
    Neil Nakahodo, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Two Prosecutors is based on a novella by Georgy Demidov, a physicist who spent 18 years in Soviet prison camps and was rehabilitated in the late 1950s, only to then have his work seized by the authorities; most of his writings were only published following his death in 1987.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
  • Windel has spent decades building and rehabilitating housing across Oklahoma.
    Stephen Martin, Oklahoma Watch, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The chimneys have been rebuilt, insulation improved, and many of the home’s original windows restored, with others replaced where needed.
    Miriam Schwartz, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026
  • America has already achieved an important objective by restoring credibility to our deterrence since military power is worthless if adversaries don’t believe this power will ever be employed.
    Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 29 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rebuild.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebuild. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.

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