overhaul

verb

over·​haul ˌō-vər-ˈhȯl 

overhauled; overhauling; overhauls

transitive verb

1

a

: to examine thoroughly

our systems of education are being constantly overhauled

—Saturday Rev.

b(1)

: repair

The mechanic overhauled the engine.

(2)

: to renovate, remake, revise, or renew thoroughly

Lawmakers are overhauling the welfare program.

2

: to haul or drag over

3

: overtake

The most imposing U.S. swimmer was overhauled by a 17-year-old Australian in the butterfly race.

overhaul

ˈō-vər-ˌhȯl 

noun

Synonyms

• catch
• catch up (with)
• overtake

Examples of overhaul in a Sentence

The mechanic overhauled the car's engine.

They had to overhaul their original plans.

Lawmakers are overhauling the welfare program.

Recent Examples on the Web

To overhaul the Electoral College completely, Congress would have to pass a constitutional amendment, which would require a two-thirds majority vote in both houses of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states. —Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 26 Sep. 2024

Mozilla has overhauled its branding to pay homage to its Netscape roots and better distinguish the wider organization from its Firefox web browser. —Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 24 Sep. 2024

There wasn’t just one problem – there were dozens In December 2020, Congress voted to overhaul the FAFSA. —Cory Turner, NPR, 24 Sep. 2024

Perhaps most critically, Foot Locker is finally doing the work necessary to overhaul its aging store fleet, which is responsible for about 80% of its sales. —Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1705, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

overhaul

verb

over·​haul ˌō-vər-ˈhȯl 

1

: to make a thorough examination of and make necessary repairs and adjustments on

overhaul an engine

2

: overtake sense 1a

overhaul

ˈō-vər-ˌhȯl 

noun