To rephrase means to express the same idea using different words. When you rephrase something, you keep the meaning but change how you say it. If your teacher asks you to rephrase your answer, she wants you to explain it in a new way that might be clearer or more precise.

Rephrasing helps in many situations. Maybe you're writing a book report and realize you've started three sentences the same way: you can rephrase one or two to add variety. Or perhaps you're explaining the rules of a game to a friend who looks confused: rephrasing your explanation with clearer words might help them understand.

Sometimes people rephrase to avoid repeating themselves word-for-word. Other times they rephrase to make something easier to understand, or to say the same thing in a way that sounds more polite or appropriate for the situation.

Notice that rephrasing is different from summarizing. When you summarize, you make something shorter and hit just the main points. When you rephrase, you're usually keeping about the same length and all the details, just swapping out the words themselves while preserving the original meaning.