rejoin

rejoin — verb

1. to come back to a person, team, or activity that you were part of before

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to come back to a person, team, or activity that you were part of before

Example

After a year abroad, Beatrix rejoined her old team at the marketing firm.

rejoin + group noun phrase

The hikers stopped for lunch, then rejoined the main path an hour later.

rejoin + route or path

Common collocations
  • rejoin a group
  • rejoin a team
  • rejoin the company
  • rejoin the party
  • rejoin the path
  • rejoin a conversation
  • rejoin a match
Synonyms
  • return to

    most neutral alternative, suitable for any place or person

  • go back to

    more informal and conversational in tone

  • re-enter

    more formal, often implies crossing a boundary into a place or field

Antonyms
  • leave

    the opposite action of departing from a group or place

  • quit

    implies a permanent departure rather than a temporary absence

Grammar Patterns

rejoin + noun phrase (group, person, path)

rejoin (no object)

Usage Note

Object is typically a group of people, an organisation, or a route that you were on before. Can also be used intransitively when the group is clear from context.

Common Mistakes

I rejoined to the company after two years.
I rejoined the company after two years.
'rejoin' as 'return to a group' is transitive and takes a direct object without a preposition.

2. to answer someone quickly, in a way that is often sharp, humorous, or critical

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to answer someone quickly, in a way that is often sharp, humorous, or critical

Example

"You are late again," the teacher said. "I had to help a friend," Mathieu rejoined with a shrug.

rejoin + direct speech as reply

When her brother called the film boring, Élise rejoined that he had fallen asleep halfway through.

rejoin + that-clause for reported retort

Common collocations
  • rejoin sharply
  • rejoin wittily
  • rejoin that...
  • to which [person] rejoined...
Synonyms
  • retort

    similarly sharp and combative in tone; more common in modern English

  • reply

    neutral, without the sharp or witty connotation of 'rejoin'

  • answer back

    informal, often used of children or subordinates speaking rudely

Grammar Patterns

rejoin + direct speech

rejoin + that-clause

Usage Note

Literary or formal register. Usually introduces a direct quote or a that-clause. Not used in casual everyday conversation; the neutral alternative is 'reply' or 'answer'.

Common Mistakes

I don't understand,' he rejoined (when genuinely confused).
I don't understand,' he said.
'Rejoin' implies a sharp or witty tone; using it for a neutral statement sounds overly formal and out of place.

3. to connect two separate parts of something again, especially physical objects th

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to connect two separate parts of something again, especially physical objects that have been broken, cut, or separated

Example

Adaeze carefully rejoined the two ends of the broken wire with electrical tape.

rejoin + broken physical parts

After the landslide, the road crew rejoined the severed sections of the highway.

Common collocations
  • rejoin ends
  • rejoin sections
  • rejoin wires
  • rejoin pieces
  • rejoin ligaments
Synonyms
  • reconnect

    broader, can refer to both physical and electronic connections

  • reattach

    implies fixing something that was previously attached by a specific method

  • splice

    technical term for joining ropes, wires, or film by interweaving

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

rejoin + noun phrase (physical parts or sections)

Usage Note

Object is always a physical object or material that has been broken, cut, or separated. Common in technical, medical, and repair contexts. Not used for abstract reconnection (use 'reconnect' instead).

Common Mistakes

She rejoined the rope.
She rejoined the ends of the rope.
The object of 'rejoin' in this sense should be the parts being connected, not the whole object.

Word family

  • rejoinder
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

These three verbs all describe moving towards a place, person, or activity after a period away. 'Rejoin' specifically implies returning to a group, team, or activity that you were part of before — it carries a sense of belonging and continuity. 'Return to' is the most general and neutral alternative, suitable for any destination from a building to a country to a state of mind. 'Go back to' is more informal and conversational, common in everyday spoken English. 'Re-enter' is more formal and often implies crossing a boundary into a space, profession, or field that you had left. For example: 'She rejoined the choir after a year abroad' (she was a member before). 'She returned to the office to fetch her keys' (neutral). 'She went back to her hometown every summer' (everyday speech). 'She re-entered politics after a decade' (crossing a boundary into a field).

return togo back to ↗re-enter ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • rejoin the ranks of
  • rejoin the fray

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

'Rejoin' comes from Old French 'rejoindre', meaning 'to join again'. The word is built from Latin 're-' (again) and 'iungere' (to join). The 'retort' meaning (sense 2) developed from the legal term 'rejoin' used in English courts — to answer a defendant's plea in a formal reply. By the 1600s, this courtroom meaning broadened into everyday use for any sharp or witty reply outside of legal settings.