restart

verb

re·​start (ˌ)rē-ˈstärt How to pronounce restart (audio)
restarted; restarting; restarts
Synonyms of restartnext

transitive verb

1
: to start anew
2
: to resume (something, such as an activity) after interruption

intransitive verb

: to resume operation
restartable adjective

Examples of restart in a Sentence

They plan to restart negotiations next week. The tournament will restart tomorrow.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Morgan Stanley forecasts the market will lose another billion barrels over the course of 2026 due to the time required to restart oilfields, repair refineries and reposition the tanker fleet. Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 13 May 2026 However, the flushing pump was not designed to automatically restart following a blackout, and the Dali’s generators could not operate without a fuel supply, so the ship ultimately experienced the second blackout. Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 13 May 2026 Unlike a pump that's designed specifically to supply diesel to a generator, the NTSB said the flushing pump, which was designed to clear fuel out of piping for maintenance, didn't have redundancies and couldn't restart automatically after an outage. Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 12 May 2026 However, the flushing pump was not designed to automatically restart following a blackout, and the Dali’s generators could not operate without a fuel supply, so the ship ultimately experienced a second blackout, the indictment said. Luke Barr, ABC News, 12 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for restart

Word History

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of restart was in 1749

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Restart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restart. Accessed 16 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

restart

verb
re·​start rē-ˈstärt How to pronounce restart (audio)
1
: to start anew
restarted the car
2
a
: to resume (as an activity) after an interruption
will restart the game
b
: to resume operation
the rides will restart after one hour
restart
ˈrē-ˌstärt
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on restart

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster