reconstruct
verb
re·con·struct
ˌrē-kən-ˈstrəkt 
reconstructed; reconstructing; reconstructs
1
: to construct again: such as
a
: to build or assemble (something) again
reconstruct a damaged chimney
b
medical
: to subject (an organ or part) to surgery to re-form its structure or correct a defect
an athlete with a surgically reconstructed shoulder
2
a
: to re-create or reimagine (something from the past) especially by using information acquired through research
reconstructing a lost civilization
The solution is to reconstruct the vocabularies of vanished ancient languages (so-called protolanguages) by comparing vocabularies of modern languages derived from them.—
Jared Diamond
Jared Diamond
b
: to create an accurate reenactment or understanding of (a past occurrence or event, such as an accident) by applying scientific principles and techniques to physical evidence
McDaniel hired the firm to reconstruct a fiery collision in Limestone County several years ago in which two young women were killed when their car was engulfed in flames.—John Peck
John PeckExamples of reconstruct in a Sentence
After the earthquake, many houses needed to be reconstructed.
Archaeologists were able to reconstruct most of the ancient village from their findings.
They are attempting to reconstruct the events that led to the bridge's collapse.
Recent Examples on the Web
Work included excavation, installing railroad rails, wall cribbing, adding retaining walls to support the hillside, reconstructing the road shoulder, resurfacing the road and adding guardrails, among other things, KYTC said in the release.
—Killian Baarlaer, The Enquirer, 5 July 2024
Study looked at 250 years of glacier 'behavior' To complete the study, researchers used historical records, aerial photographs, 3D terrain maps and satellite imagery to reconstruct glacier behavior over the past 250 years.
—Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 5 July 2024
The pair continued to talk about how the items on display made the opening of Michigan Central Station more than just about restoration of the building, but more about reconstructing and connecting them to the past and how special that makes Detroit.
—Detroit Free Press, 22 June 2024
A Day of Rage: Using thousands of videos and police radio communications, a New York Times investigation reconstructed in detail what happened — and why.
—Richard Fausset, New York Times, 10 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for reconstruct 
Killian Baarlaer, The Enquirer, 5 July 2024
Study looked at 250 years of glacier 'behavior' To complete the study, researchers used historical records, aerial photographs, 3D terrain maps and satellite imagery to reconstruct glacier behavior over the past 250 years.
—Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 5 July 2024
The pair continued to talk about how the items on display made the opening of Michigan Central Station more than just about restoration of the building, but more about reconstructing and connecting them to the past and how special that makes Detroit.
—Detroit Free Press, 22 June 2024
A Day of Rage: Using thousands of videos and police radio communications, a New York Times investigation reconstructed in detail what happened — and why.
—Richard Fausset, New York Times, 10 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for reconstruct
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reconstruct.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near reconstruct
Cite this Entry
“Reconstruct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reconstruct. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
reconstruct
verb
re·con·struct
ˌrē-kən-ˈstrəkt
Medical Definition
reconstruct
transitive verb
re·con·struct
ˌrē-kən-ˈstrəkt
: to subject (an organ or part) to surgery so as to re-form the structure of or to correct a defect
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