# reinvent the wheel

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/reinvent-the-wheel
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To do work unnecessarily when it has already been done satisfactorily by others; to attempt to devise a solution to a problem when a solution already exists.

## Examples

- Don't reinvent the wheel — use the existing template.
- The manager told her team not to reinvent the wheel, since another department had already solved the same problem.
- Rather than reinvent the wheel, the researchers built upon decades of established theory, saving years of redundant effort.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.