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
Robert WestonIf anything ever happens to the original drive, you can reboot using the cloned drive and be up and running in minutes.—Dan Frakes
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
Belinda Luscombereboot 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
Susan Heeger
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
George F. Hepner2
: 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
Jen MurphyExamples of reboot in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
The game created a generation of diehard fans, including the Kelce brothers, who spoke in 2024 about their efforts to reboot the franchise.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
Moored on the shimmering curve of the South Bank, Sea Containers is London’s answer to maritime maximalism—an all-day, all-night glam escape where ocean liner nostalgia gets a high-gloss, high-style reboot.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reboot
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Verb
Many in Hollywood were dubious as to whether Universal and Amblin could reboot the Jurassic franchise for a third time, and birth a new trilogy more than three decades after Steven Spielberg’s dinos first stomped onto the big screen in 1993’s Jurassic Park.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
The game created a generation of diehard fans, including the Kelce brothers, who spoke in 2024 about their efforts to reboot the franchise.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
Alicia Vikander Alicia Vikander portrayed Lara Croft in the reboot movie Tomb Raider, released in June 2018.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
Moored on the shimmering curve of the South Bank, Sea Containers is London’s answer to maritime maximalism—an all-day, all-night glam escape where ocean liner nostalgia gets a high-gloss, high-style reboot.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reboot
Cite this Entry
“Reboot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reboot. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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