retool

R1E1T1O1O1L1
/riːˈtuːl/Northern Ireland, Scotland/riˈtʉl/

verb

To adjust; to optimize; to rebuild.

“He decided it was time to retool last year's marketing brochure.”

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UncommonScrabble 6

Meanings

verbretool (third-person singular simple present retools, present participle retooling, simple past and past participle retooled)

present singular third person retools · participle present retooling · participle past retooled · past retooled

  1. transitiveTo adjust; to optimize; to rebuild.

    He decided it was time to retool last year's marketing brochure.

    1 more example

    The coronation of a British ruler is, of course, a political ritual and a religious ceremony. But it is also, as the crowning of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 established, a TV show. It’s an anachronistic assertion of divine right retooled to recognize that, in the electronic era, even hereditary rulers have to argue their relevance.

    2023 May 6, James Poniewozik, “Charles III Was Crowned King. But Can He Ever Be the Star?”, in The New York Times

Synonyms & antonyms

verbrevise or reorganize, especially for the purpose of updating and improving

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Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Italic*wre-
  2. Latinre-
  3. Old Frenchre-
  4. Middle Englishre-
  5. Englishre-
  6. Englishtool
  7. Englishretool

From re- + tool.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

German umrüsten, umstellen
  • umrüstento adjust, to rebuild
  • umstellento adjust, to rebuild
Polish przeorganizowywać, przeorganizować
  • przeorganizowywaćto adjust, to rebuild
  • przeorganizowaćto adjust, to rebuild
Spanish modificar el utillaje
  • modificar el utillajeto adjust, to rebuild

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with retool

All rhymes →

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

retool. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retool

MLA

“retool.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retool. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “retool,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retool.

Source: retool on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.