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

reboot an old TV series

… decided to reboot the idea as a tribute concert.

—Matt Wake

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

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

Following Sam Raimi’s original trilogy, which included The Evil Dead (1981), Evil Dead II (1987) and Army of Darkness (1993), the franchise was rebooted with Fede Álvarez’s Evil Dead in 2013. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 10 July 2026

Simmons didn’t play the role in 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man, which rebooted the franchise with Andrew Garfield at the superhero, or its sequel. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 10 July 2026

Noun

But the administration has kept most commemorations of lesbian, gay, and bisexual Americans while removing commemoration of trans rights, as seen in its reboot of the Stonewall monument. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 10 July 2026

Opening in theaters nationwide on Friday, Evil Dead Burn is the third chapter in Raimi, Tapert and Campbell’s reboot of the series that began in 2013 with Fede Alvarez’s remake of the original version of 1981’s The Evil Dead. — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1971, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1980, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for reboot

• acute
• aleut
• astute
• beetroot
• breadfruit
• cheroot
• commute
• compute
• confute
• dilute
• dispute
• elute