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
Researchers have developed a new method to reverse engineer molecules — groups of atoms that make up nearly every physical material, including medications and batteries — using generative AI, according to a new paper published in Nature.
—
Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 23 Jan. 2026
The bright Infrared shade has been reverse engineered by comparing both ’91 originals and 2000 retros to fine-tune the specific shade.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 17 Jan. 2026
Separately, a group of hackers was able to successfully reverse engineer many parts of the MetroCard.
—Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 28 Dec. 2025
The initiative looked a lot like the Congress for Cultural Freedom, but reverse engineered to expand the Kremlin’s authority rather than diminish it.
—Tetiana Kotelnykova, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reverse engineer
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 23 Jan. 2026
The bright Infrared shade has been reverse engineered by comparing both ’91 originals and 2000 retros to fine-tune the specific shade.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 17 Jan. 2026
Separately, a group of hackers was able to successfully reverse engineer many parts of the MetroCard.
—Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 28 Dec. 2025
The initiative looked a lot like the Congress for Cultural Freedom, but reverse engineered to expand the Kremlin’s authority rather than diminish it.
—Tetiana Kotelnykova, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reverse engineer
Cite this Entry
“Reverse engineer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reverse%20engineer. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
