reverse engineer
verb
reverse engineered; reverse engineering; reverse engineers
: to disassemble and examine or analyze in detail (a product or device) to discover the concepts involved in manufacture usually in order to produce something similar
reverse engineering
noun
Examples of reverse engineer in a Sentence
They reverse engineered the software.
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2020, SwRI was able to reverse engineer and hack the J1772 charger system – the most common charger type in the US – to disrupt the charging process, simulating a malicious attack.
—
Joe Salas, New Atlas, 20 July 2024
If some clever hacker reverse engineers the algorithm, that system is suddenly wide open.
—PCMAG, 25 June 2024
When these patents expire, firms can make generic versions of the same drugs by reverse engineering their active ingredients to produce equivalent medicines without incurring the costs of research, development, and testing.
—Katherine Eban, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2019
To overcome these challenges, the Thousand Brains Project aims to develop a new AI platform by reverse engineering the neocortex, which accounts for about 80 percent of the human brain’s mass.
—IEEE Spectrum, 17 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for reverse engineer 
Joe Salas, New Atlas, 20 July 2024
If some clever hacker reverse engineers the algorithm, that system is suddenly wide open.
—PCMAG, 25 June 2024
When these patents expire, firms can make generic versions of the same drugs by reverse engineering their active ingredients to produce equivalent medicines without incurring the costs of research, development, and testing.
—Katherine Eban, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2019
To overcome these challenges, the Thousand Brains Project aims to develop a new AI platform by reverse engineering the neocortex, which accounts for about 80 percent of the human brain’s mass.
—IEEE Spectrum, 17 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for reverse engineer
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reverse engineer.' 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 reverse engineer
Cite this Entry
“Reverse engineer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reverse%20engineer. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share