rewrite

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive

   To write something again in a different or improved form.

   Grammar: Takes an object: rewrite the essay. The past tense is rewrote, past participle rewritten.

   Patterns

   • rewrite something
   • rewrite a sentence
   • rewrite a story

   The editor asked me to rewrite the opening paragraph.

   He rewrote the report to make it clearer.

   She has rewritten the ending of her novel three times.

2. 2nouncountable

   A new version of a text produced by writing it again.

   Grammar: Countable: a rewrite, two rewrites. Often used for major changes, not small edits.

   Patterns

   • a rewrite of something
   • do a rewrite
   • need a rewrite

   The script needs a complete rewrite before filming starts.

   Her latest draft is a rewrite of an earlier story.

   The article went through several rewrites.

Word forms

Common combinations

rewrite a sentence

Please rewrite this sentence to make it less formal.

rewrite history

The regime tried to rewrite history by removing books.

a complete rewrite

The proposal needs a complete rewrite.

rewrite the rules

The new coach wants to rewrite the rules of the game.

Synonyms and how they differ

revise

Often means making changes to improve a text, but can be smaller than a full rewrite.

edit

Usually means correcting or adjusting parts, not writing the whole thing again.

reword

Means changing the wording of a small part, not the entire text.

Word family

rewrite noun

A new version of a text.

rewriting noun

The act of writing something again.

rewritable adjective

Able to be written again, as of a disc.

Commonly confused: rewrite or rewrite?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “rewrite”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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