English Reference
verb · noun

rethink

v. · n.
US /ɹiˈθɪŋk/ re·think UK spelling rethinks

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    v.to think about something again to decide if you should change it.

    v.to reconsider a previous decision or plan, often in response to new information or a failure.

    Simple

    The company had to rethink its strategy after sales fell in the first quarter.

    In context

    The sudden shift in market regulations forced the board to rethink their entire expansion project before committing further capital.

    Usage

    Often used when a previous plan has encountered problems.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    n.the act of thinking about something again to make changes.

    n.an instance of reconsidering a policy or idea, often leading to a significant change in direction.

    Simple

    The government's new tax plan needs a major rethink.

    In context

    After the pilot programme failed to meet its targets, the department underwent a fundamental rethink of its service delivery model.

    re evaluationreassessment

Others called for a rethink of Seoul’s policy on the war on Iran.

Al Jazeera· 20 Aug 2026

A lot of astrophysical systems have also been used to look for similar effects, and we need to rethink all of them," Huang says.

Phys.org· 15 Aug 2026

From re- + think.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated