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to rearm

to rearm

7 6.8
To give weapons again to a group or country
  • verb
  • /ˌriːˈɑːrm/
translation icon : rearmentar
  • He can rearm in three hours.
  • Germany to rearm

Of course, one of the risks of rearming is that opponents might see increased military spending as a provocation.

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Examples

  • The fleet returned to the harbor to rearm the ships with new missiles.

  • Sir, all the bombers are rearmed and ready.

  • The drive to rearm has another psychological aspect that must be considered.

    Academic text (2003)
  • We need to come back to base, rearm and regroup and then we can go back out.

  • Reagan realized that by rearming America at a faster pace, he could force the Soviet military to spend the country into economic collapse.

    Academic text (2009)
  • Of course, one of the risks of rearming is that opponents might see increased military spending as a provocation.

  • Japan is already growing more assertive in foreign relations and slowly rearming.

    Academic text (1998)
  • They can be quickly refueled and rearmed for sea action.

  • Rearm the planes that were going to attack Midway with torpedoes and armor-piercing bombs.

  • The WEU was formed in 1954 as a device to facilitate rearming West Germany and bringing it into NATO, and it placed limitations on German rearmament.

    Academic text (1993)

Synonyms

to re-arm
vsto rearm
  • UK
6.0

To give weapons to a country or its army again

has identical meaning but is written without a hyphen

Antonyms

93 3.9

To take weapons from a person or group so they cannot use them

How Armed

to rearm
7 6.8
to arm
119 3.7
to disarm
93 3.9

Surface Forms

rearm infinitive
rearmed past
rearmed past participle
rearming present participle
rearms third person singular

Morphology

rearm = arm (transparent) = re + arm

The prefix 're-' keeps its standard meaning 'again', so 'rearm' is straightforwardly understood as 'arm again'.

Etymology

Rearm is made of re- 'again' and arm 'to give weapons', and the arm part is the same idea you find in army and armor. So, to rearm is to 'arm again', meaning to give weapons to a person, ship, or army after they were taken away.