Rebuild
/ˌriːˈbɪld/
verbB1
Definition
To rebuild means to make something that was broken, old, or destroyed whole again by building it once more. This can be a physical thing like a house or a bridge, or something less physical like trust or a team. It usually happens after damage or loss.
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See It in Action
To construct again after destruction or damage
- •They had to rebuild the school after the fire.
- •The city is rebuilding its roads after the earthquake.
- •After the war, many houses were rebuilt by the government.
To restore or improve something non-physical, like relationships or organizations
- •The team is trying to rebuild trust with the fans.
- •After the argument, they worked hard to rebuild their friendship.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "rebuild" like "build" (A1 word), but you do it again because the first one was broken or gone
- ✓Picture a house that fell down after a storm, and people putting bricks and wood back to make it new again
- ✓It's the feeling of hope and effort after something bad happens, like fixing a broken toy or friendship
- ✓Sounds like "ree-build" → imagine saying "re" (again) + "build" (make), so it means "make again"
- ✓Remember stories where heroes fix their homes or cities after a disaster, showing strength and care
- ✓NOT like "build" (first time making something new), "rebuild" means doing it again after damage
- ✓NOT like "repair" (fix small parts), "rebuild" often means making big parts or the whole thing again
- ✓NOT like "replace" (putting something new instead), "rebuild" means making the original thing whole again
Try Other Words
- •Restore: to bring back to original condition (Use when emphasizing returning something to how it was before)
- •Repair: to fix something broken or damaged (Use when the damage is small or partial)
- •Construct again: to build something one more time (Use when focusing on the building process itself)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: prefix "re-" (again) + root "build" (to make something)
- •Etymology: From English, combining "re-" meaning again and "build" meaning to make a structure
- •Historical development: Used since the early 1600s to mean building something again after damage or destruction
- •Modern usage: Commonly used for physical structures, systems, or even abstract things like relationships or careers that need to be made whole again
Reflect & Connect
•When is it better to rebuild something instead of starting completely new? Can you think of examples?
•How does the idea of rebuilding apply to personal growth or learning from mistakes?
Fill in the blanks
1.After the flood, the community had to rebuild ___ homes and ___ roads quickly.
2.The company worked hard to rebuild ___ after the scandal damaged its reputation.
3.Unlike simple repairs, to rebuild a bridge means you must ___ many parts from the ground up.
4.They decided to rebuild the old theater rather than ___ it with a new building.
5.Rebuilding trust takes time and ___ effort from all people involved.
6.When a team loses many players, it needs to rebuild its ___ before the next season.
7.After losing everything, she felt hopeful because she knew she could rebuild her ___ step by step.