Meaning & use
rewiring
Last updated
“rewiring” is a form of “rewire”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
noununcountable
The job of replacing or renewing the electrical wires in a building, machine or vehicle.
Grammar: Usually without a: the rewiring took a week.
Patterns
- the rewiring of something
- rewiring work
The rewiring of the old farmhouse cost more than the roof repair.
Electricians finished the rewiring on Friday.
Rewiring a classic car is a delicate job.
noununcountablefigurative
A deep change in the way a person thinks, reacts or behaves, or in how brain connections work.
Grammar: Often figurative and followed by of: the rewiring of the brain.
Patterns
- the rewiring of something
- rewiring of habits
Learning to play the violin causes a rewiring of the brain.
Quitting smoking required a complete rewiring of his daily routine.
Therapists talk about the rewiring of fear responses.
verbtransitive
Putting new electrical wires into something or changing its connections; the -ing form of rewire.
Grammar: Takes an object: they are rewiring the house.
Patterns
- rewire something
- rewire something for something
They are rewiring the kitchen so it can take a bigger oven.
I spent the weekend rewiring a lamp I found at a flea market.
The company is rewiring its whole delivery network.
Word forms
| base | rewire |
|---|---|
| third person singular | rewires |
| past tense | rewired |
| -ing form | rewiring |
Common combinations
- complete rewiring
- The old building needs a complete rewiring before anyone can move in.
- rewiring the brain
- Practice is rewiring the brain to cope with anxiety.
- electrical rewiring
- Electrical rewiring should be done by a licensed professional.
- rewiring a house
- Rewiring a house is disruptive but often necessary in old homes.
- rewiring habits
- Rewiring habits takes patience and repetition.
Synonyms and how they differ
- retraining
- Retraining means teaching someone new skills, whereas rewiring in the figurative sense implies a deeper, almost physical change.
- overhauling
- Overhauling is a broad word for thorough repair or revision of anything, while rewiring is about connections specifically.
- reconfiguring
- Reconfiguring means arranging parts in a new way and sounds more technical or computer-related.
Word family
Commonly confused: rewiring or rewiring vs. rewinding?
rewiring vs rewiring vs. rewinding
Rewinding means winding something back, such as a tape or a clock, not changing its wires.
Practice
The electrician said the old house needed total ___ before it could pass inspection.
Choose one answer.
Rewiring means replacing electrical wiring. Rewinding is for tape or thread, reviewing is checking, and reloading is for guns or software.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rewiring”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.