retool

verb

re·​tool (ˌ)rē-ˈtül 

retooled; retooling; retools

transitive verb

1

: to reequip with tools

2

: reorganize

3

: revise, modify

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

The director Elia Kazan took a stab, in 1955, by retooling just the final chapters as an angsty star vehicle for the teen heartthrob James Dean. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2026

Someone who lost everything in the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s could end up in Sydney and, through TAFE, retool themselves to become an air conditioning repair person. — Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2026

In 1996, Lipnicki joined the cast of The Jeff Foxworthy Show for its second season, which was retooled after the sitcom moved from ABC to NBC. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2026

Cousins remodeled and retooled to upgrade its food and decor. — Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for retool

• ampoule
• bascule
• carpool
• cesspool
• ferrule
• footstool
• guayule
• lobule
• misrule
• preschool
• pustule
• whirlpool

Kids Definition

retool

verb

re·​tool (ˈ)rē-ˈtül 

1

: to equip again with new or different tools

retool a factory

2

: to make changes or improvements to

retool that idea