reboot

1 of 2

verb

re·​boot (ˌ)rē-ˈbüt 

rebooted; rebooting; reboots

1

a

transitive + intransitive : to shut down and restart (a computer or program)

… the annoyance of having to reboot the computer to switch operating systems …

—Robert Weston

If anything ever happens to the original drive, you can reboot using the cloned drive and be up and running in minutes.

—Dan Frakes

b

intransitive : to start up again after closing or shutting down : to boot up again

waiting for a computer/program to reboot

2

a

transitive : to start (something) anew : to refresh (something) by making a new start or creating a new version

It's probably not an overstatement to say Sandberg is embarking on the most ambitious mission to reboot feminism and reframe discussions of gender since the launch of Ms. magazine in 1971.

—Belinda Luscombe

reboot an old TV series

b

intransitive : to start anew : to make a fresh start

The interior designer's heart was telling her to reboot and downsize …

—Susan Heeger

reboot

2 of 2

noun

re·​boot ˈrē-ˌbüt 

plural reboots

1

: the act or an instance of shutting down and restarting something (such as a computer or program)

In a few cases, errors cause a headlong exit to DOS or the software ceases to operate, requiring a reboot.

—George F. Hepner

2

: the act or an instance of starting (something) anew or making a fresh start

In a massive reboot last fall, all 200 rooms were done up in geometric rugs and curvy leather headboards.

—Jen Murphy

Examples of reboot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Many of us will want to reboot our systems with a resolution—or, two, or three. —Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2025

Heat from the fire caused several cameras to fail to reboot. —Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025

Noun

Over 20 years has passed since this most recent Dragnet reboot. —Marc Berman, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025

Oceanfront Malibu ‘dream home’ destroyed Lenkov, who helped produce the reboots of Hawaii Five-O, MacGyver and Magnum, P.I. initially had trouble recognizing where his home once stood. —Will Carless, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1971, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1980, in the meaning defined at sense 1