Meanings
present singular third person retools · participle present retooling · participle past retooled · past retooled
- 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
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Italic*wre-
- Latinre-
- Old Frenchre-
- Middle Englishre-
- Englishre-
- Englishtool
- Englishretool
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
Anagrams
Cite this entry
retool. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retool
“retool.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retool. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “retool,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retool.
Source: retool on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.