reboot

American  

[ree-boot, ree-boot, ree-boot] / riˈbut, riˈbut, ˈriˌbut /

verb (used with object)

• reboots,
  present (3rd person singular)
• rebooted,
  past participle,  past
• rebooting
  present participle

1. to restart (a computer) by loading the operating system; boot again.

2. to produce a distinctly new version of (an established media franchise, as a film, TV show, video game, or comic book).

   The studio is rebooting Spider-Man.

3. to make a change in (something) in order to establish a new beginning: Lower interest rates are intended to reboot the economy.

   She’s rebooting her career.

   Lower interest rates are intended to reboot the economy.

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verb (used without object)

• reboots,
  present (3rd person singular)
• rebooted,
  past participle,  past
• rebooting
  present participle

1. (of a computer) to be restarted.

noun

• reboots
  plural

1. an act or instance of restarting a computer.

2. an act or instance of making a change in order to establish a new beginning.

   a reboot of our product line.

3. a distinctly new version of an established media franchise.

   The show will be a gritty reboot of the classic TV series from the 1970s.

reboot British  

/ riːˈbuːt /

verb

1. to shut down and restart (a computer system) or (of a computer system) to shut down and restart

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reboot Cultural  

1. A term that comes from computer usage. To reboot a computer is to start it up again after a computer crash. Hence, “reboot” has the connotation of starting a process over again.

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• reboots
  plural

Participles

• rebooting
  present
• rebooted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• reboot
  simple
• reboots
  simple
• have rebooted
  perfect
• has rebooted
  perfect
• am rebooting
  progressive
• are rebooting
  progressive
• is rebooting
  progressive
• have been rebooting
  perfect progressive
• has been rebooting
  perfect progressive

Past

• rebooted
  simple
• had rebooted
  perfect
• was rebooting
  progressive
• were rebooting
  progressive
• had been rebooting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will reboot
  simple
• will have rebooted
  perfect
• will be rebooting
  progressive
• will have been rebooting
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of reboot

First recorded in 1970–75; re- ( def. ) + boot ¹ (in the sense “to start a computer”)

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Explanation

To reboot is to reload the operating system of a computer: to start it up again. Booting is starting a computer's operating system, so rebooting is to start it for a second or third time. Rebooting is usually necessary after a computer crashes, meaning it stops working because of a malfunction. Rebooting allows the computer to restart and get back to working normally. After a crash, the computer is useless until you reboot. This word has been extended to other types of second beginnings: when a movie series (like Spider-Man) starts over, it has been rebooted.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reboot reboots rebooted rebooting

The Chargers are in desperate need of a reboot, but trading away Justin Herbert for three first-round draft picks won’t be part of the team’s plans.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

The hosts enjoyed the experience enough to sign on for a “Scrubs” reboot, currently streaming on Hulu and airing on ABC.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

Her plan now calls for crisscrossing 23 states, going to even the smallest communities, to talk to Venezuelans and reboot her campaign—this time to press for new presidential elections in 2027.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026

"Modern Warfare 4" was developed by American studio Infinity Ward, which was behind the original 2003 series and the 2019 reboot of the "Modern Warfare" sub-series.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

I would play for an hour, or even two; then I’d make one tiny mistake and I’d have to reboot the machine and start all over.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

After 20 or so reboots, I reached the dock, and safety.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

Adaptations, remakes and reboots are all the rage right now, and there’s often one question that crops up - why?

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

The drama, which concluded its five-season run in 1981, inspired two reboots: 2000’s “Charlie’s Angels” and its 2003 sequel “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle,” starring Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore, who produced the films.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026

The path these men blazed led to the endless sequels and prequels, remakes and reboots, churned out by the corporate-owned, IP-obsessed studios of the 2020s.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026

Director Fede Álvarez reboots the franchise for a new generation by deftly blending the horror of the first movie with the adrenaline-spiking action of the second, along with a little too much goofy fan service.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2025

And a refreshingly rebooted Kyle Tucker, the $60-million-per-year outfielder who for weeks was colder than dry ice.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

But then a new generation rediscovers and reclaims it, until suddenly it’s being rebooted by a “Sundance wunderkind.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

The franchise was launched by superstar Amitabh Bachchan in 1978 and rebooted by Akhtar with Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

While there’s no doubt the boycott irreversibly shifted public perception of the franchise in its rebooted state, “Scream 7” managed a record-breaking opening weekend gross of $63.6 million, the franchise’s largest before inflation is adjusted.

From Salon ● Mar. 6, 2026

Piper explained her version of events—how she’d rebooted the metal dragon with charmspeak.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

But from “Baywatch” to this summer’s “Masters of the Universe,” we’ve endured plenty of painful illustrations of the trend’s downside: If what you’re rebooting is so bad, why make us sit through it?

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Kris is a queer filmmaker taking on the task of reclaiming the slasher horror film-within-the-film, “Camp Miasma,” rebooting it for the queer community to no longer be appalled by.

From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026

Even more frightening is the fact he's rebooting for version 2.0.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

President Ahmed al-Sharaa has been rebooting Syria's international credentials and seeking to revive his struggling country after toppling longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026

Just a maintenance tech here, folks, heading home after a long night of rebooting routers.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

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Related Words

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