retry

1 of 2

verb

re·​try (ˌ)rē-ˈtrī How to pronounce retry (audio)
retried; retrying
1
transitive + intransitive : to try (something) again to see if it is successful, working, or satisfactory
He retried downloading the program.
Turn the device and the router off for at least ten seconds, then turn them back on and retry the connection.Ankit Banerjee
a restaurant that might be worth retrying
After a certain number of failed attempts, the system will stop retrying.
2
transitive law : to try (someone or something) judicially for a second time
Prosecutors decided to retry the case.
retry a defendant
He was retried on the manslaughter charge.

retry

2 of 2

noun

re·​try ˈrē-ˌtrī How to pronounce retry (audio)
plural retries
: a new attempt or try
The website loaded on the third retry.

Examples of retry in a Sentence

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.
Verb
Prosecutors retried one of the men, John Kogut – who had made a coerced confession to the murder – but he was acquitted. Lauren Del Valle, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025 The court said Hernandez must be released or retried within a reasonable amount of time. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
Denver is 3-2 and could easily be 5-0 — its two losses came from walk-off field goals, and one of those kicks was a retry after a rare leverage penalty. Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025 OEMs should prioritize infrastructure that automates collections, flags failed transactions and applies smart retry logic. Hans Kristian Aas, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for retry

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1673, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of retry was circa 1673

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Cite this Entry

“Retry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retry. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

Legal Definition

retry

transitive verb
re·​try
ˌrē-ˈtrī
retried; retrying
: to try again
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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