retool

verb

re·​tool (ˌ)rē-ˈtül How to pronounce retool (audio)
retooled; retooling; retools

transitive verb

1
: to reequip with tools
2
3

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
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.
Similarly, the Pacers retooled via a big deal, getting Haliburton from the Kings in 2022 for center Domantas Sabonis. David Aldridge, New York Times, 22 May 2025 The upper of the Nike Dunk Low Gore-Tex, or GTX for short, has been retooled with a waterproof membrane, but the changes aren’t strictly internal. Riley Jones, Footwear News, 13 May 2025 Despite the Knicks retooling their roster with the specific goal of challenging the defending champion Celtics, Boston dominated the regular-season series, winning all four games by an average of 16.5 points despite having a full-strength starting lineup for just one of them. Zack Cox, Sun Sentinel, 5 May 2025 Meanwhile, a dogged undercover CIA agent, Cobra Bubbles (Courtney B. Vance in a role that has been retooled from the one Ving Rhames once voiced) pursues the truth behind Stitch’s origins. Gregory Nussen, Deadline, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for retool

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of retool was in 1917

Cite this Entry

“Retool.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retool. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

retool

verb
re·​tool (ˈ)rē-ˈtül How to pronounce retool (audio)
1
: to equip again with new or different tools
retool a factory
2
: to make changes or improvements to
retool that idea

More from Merriam-Webster on retool

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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