Meaning & use
rearrange
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To change the order or position of things that are already there.
Grammar: Takes an object: rearrange the furniture.
Patterns
- rearrange something
- rearrange something into something
- rearrange something so that …
We rearranged the living room to make space for the piano.
She rearranged the flowers in the vase until they looked right.
Could you rearrange the chairs into a circle before the meeting?
verbtransitive
To change the time or date of a plan or appointment.
Grammar: Takes an object, often a meeting, appointment, or trip.
Patterns
- rearrange something
- rearrange something for someone
- rearrange something to do something
I had to rearrange my dentist appointment for next Friday.
They rearranged the meeting so everyone could attend.
Can we rearrange the trip to leave on Sunday instead?
Word forms
| third person singular | rearranges |
|---|---|
| past tense | rearranged |
| past participle | rearranged |
| -ing form | rearranging |
Common combinations
- rearrange the furniture
- They rearranged the furniture while their parents were away.
- rearrange a meeting
- She rearranged the meeting because half the team was traveling.
- rearrange the letters
- Rearrange the letters to make a new word.
- rearrange your schedule
- He rearranged his schedule to pick up his daughter.
- rearrange the deck chairs
- Critics say the company is just rearranging the deck chairs instead of fixing the problem.
Synonyms and how they differ
- reorganize
- Often suggests a bigger, more systematic change in structure, not only in order.
- reorder
- Usually limited to changing the sequence of items, such as a list.
- move around
- More informal and vaguer; it can mean changing position without a clear new plan.
Opposites
Word family
- arrange verb
- To put things in a particular order or position, or to plan something.
- arrangement noun
- The way things are placed or organized, or a plan made between people.
- rearrangement noun
- A change in the order, position, or timing of something.
Commonly confused: rearrange or arrange?
rearrange vs arrange
"Arrange" can mean to put things in order for the first time or to plan something; "rearrange" always means changing an existing order or plan.
Practice
Which sentence uses "rearrange" correctly?
Choose one answer.
"Rearrange" needs an object that you move or reorder, as in "rearranged the sofa." "Rearranged to buy" and "rearranged that…" are the wrong patterns, and "rearranged … with a new one" wrongly suggests replacing the sofa rather than moving it.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rearrange”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.