reenact
gb/ɹiɪnˈækt/ us/ɹiɪnˈækt/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
act out a past event
To act something that happened before, again.
Usage pattern:
reenact [an event/scene] (for [someone])
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse reenact with react; reenact means “act again,” not “respond.”
Synonyms
restage (Emphasizes putting on a performance again.)
|
recreate (Emphasizes making the event look or feel the same.)
|
act out (More informal; focuses on performing the actions.)
Collocations
reenact the scene
|reenact the events
|reenact a crime
|reenact an accident
|reenact a battle
|reenact a historic moment
|reenact the story
|reenact the incident
|reenact a demonstration
|reenact the attack
Themes
arts
|media
|history
|crime
|education
Examples
- The documentary asked witnesses to reenact the moments before the crash.
- Actors reenacted the famous speech for a school assembly.
- Police used a video reenactment to check the suspect’s timeline.
Learner examples
- The students reenacted a scene from history.
- They reenacted what happened at the station.
Verb
C1
process
2
repeat a past pattern
To repeat an old experience or behavior again, often without meaning to.
Usage pattern:
reenact [a pattern/experience] (in/with [someone])
Common mistake:
This sense is not about acting for an audience; it means repeating a pattern in real life.
Synonyms
relive (Focuses on experiencing the feelings again, not necessarily repeating the behavior.)
|
repeat (More general; lacks the idea of past events being played out again.)
Antonyms
break (As in break a pattern; stop repeating it.)
Collocations
reenact past trauma
|reenact childhood experiences
|reenact a pattern
|reenact old conflicts
|reenact the past
|reenact family dynamics
|reenact painful memories
Themes
psychology
|relationships
|health
Examples
- In therapy, she realized she was reenacting the same abandonment fears in every relationship.
- He kept reenacting old arguments with his boss, even with new managers.
- The film shows how survivors can reenact trauma in everyday choices.
Learner examples
- He is reenacting the same mistakes as before.
Verb
legal
C1
action
3
pass a law again
To make a law valid again by passing it again.
Usage pattern:
reenact [a law/provision/statute]
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse reenact (pass again) with repeal (cancel a law).
Synonyms
reintroduce (Often refers to bringing a bill back for consideration, not necessarily passing it.)
|
repass (Informal/legal; focuses on passing again.)
Antonyms
repeal (To cancel a law instead of passing it again.)
Collocations
reenact a law
|reenact legislation
|reenact a statute
|reenact a provision
|reenact the ban
|reenact the measure
Themes
law
|government
|politics
Examples
- Congress voted to reenact key parts of the expired program.
- The city council reenacted the ordinance with minor changes.
- The court noted that the legislature had reenacted the statute after earlier challenges.
Learner examples
- The government reenacted the law last year.
Grammar
Dictionary form
reenact
IPA
GB/ɹiɪnˈækt/
US/ɹiɪnˈækt/
Syllables & stress
reen - act (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (act)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: reenact
- 3rd Person Singular: reenacts
- Present Participle: reenacting
- Past: reenacted
Expressions
reenact a battle
1/ɹiɪnˈækt ə bˈætəl/
fixed phrase
perform a historical battle
To act a famous old battle again, usually as a show.
Examples
- Every summer, volunteers reenact a battle from the civil war era.
- The museum hosts events where participants reenact a battle on the original site.
reenact a crime
1/ɹiɪnˈækt ə kɹˈaɪm/
fixed phrase
replay a crime for investigation
To act a crime again to understand what happened.
Examples
- The series reenacts real crimes based on court records.
- Detectives sometimes reenact a crime to test different scenarios.
reenact an accident
1/ɹiɪnˈækt ən ˈæksədənt/
fixed phrase
recreate an accident to explain
To act an accident again to show how it happened.
Examples
- Investigators reenacted the accident to see whether the driver could have stopped in time.
- The training video reenacts an accident caused by distracted driving.
reenact the scene
1/ɹiɪnˈækt ðə sˈin/
fixed phrase
act out what happened
To act the scene again to show what happened.
Examples
- The witness agreed to reenact the scene for investigators.
- The show reenacted the scene using actors and a reconstructed set.