troubleshooting

American  

[truhb-uhl-shoot-ing] / ˈtrʌb əlˌʃut ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or process of discovering and resolving problems, disputes, or mechanical or technical issues.

   The first step in cellphone troubleshooting is simple: restart your device.

   The customer support position involves troubleshooting, researching solutions, and providing resolutions to consumer problems.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the process of discovering and resolving problems, disputes, or mechanical or technical issues.

   If you’ve already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, please make sure to mention them.

Etymology

Origin of troubleshooting

First recorded in 1915–20; troubleshoot ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun; troubleshoot ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective

Example Sentences

Agentic-AI systems will act on behalf of users — negotiating, troubleshooting and completing transactions directly with other systems.

From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026

However, by rapidly sorting through massive health datasets, generative AI may allow researchers to spend less time troubleshooting code and more time interpreting results and asking meaningful scientific questions.

From Science Daily • Feb. 21, 2026

There is a difference between studying an issue to death and ensuring residents aren’t test subjects for tech companies troubleshooting their operations on our roads.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025

Reliable and responsive customer support can also make a significant difference when troubleshooting issues.

From Salon • Nov. 30, 2025

Back when JPL's Nerd Brigade hacked the rover and Pathfinder to be a poor man's IM client, they sent me a cheat sheet for troubleshooting.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir