reset

American  

[ree-set, ree-set] / riˈsɛt, ˈriˌsɛt /

verb (used with object)

• resets,
  present (3rd person singular)
• reset,
  past participle,  past
• resetting
  present participle

1. 

   to set again.

   to reset an alarm clock; to reset a broken bone.

2. to set, adjust, or fix in a new or different way.

   to reset priorities; to reset prices.

3. to illegally set back the odometer on (an auto or other vehicle) to a lower reading.

   a used-car dealer charged with resetting his cars.

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verb (used without object)

• resets,
  present (3rd person singular)
• reset,
  past participle,  past
• resetting
  present participle

1. to become set again.

   The alarm bell resets automatically.

noun

• resets
  plural

1. an act or instance of setting again.

2. an act or instance of setting, adjusting, or fixing something in a new or different way.

   A reset of relations between the two countries may be impossible. Company executives recognized the need for a reset in their business.

3. something that is set again.

4. a plant that is replanted.

5. a device used in resetting an instrument or control mechanism.

reset ¹ British  

verb

1. to set again (a broken bone, matter in type, a gemstone, etc)

2. to restore (a gauge, dial, etc) to zero

3. Also: clear. to restore (the contents of a register or similar device) in a computer system to zero

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noun

1. the act or an instance of setting again

2. a thing that is set again

3. a plant that has been recently transplanted

4. a device for resetting instruments, controls, etc

reset ² British  

verb

1. to receive or handle goods knowing they have been stolen

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noun

1. the receiving of stolen goods

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• resetter
  noun
• resettable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• resets
  plural

Participles

• resetting
  present
• reset
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• reset
  simple
• resets
  simple
• have reset
  perfect
• has reset
  perfect
• am resetting
  progressive
• are resetting
  progressive
• is resetting
  progressive
• have been resetting
  perfect progressive
• has been resetting
  perfect progressive

Past

• reset
  simple
• had reset
  perfect
• was resetting
  progressive
• were resetting
  progressive
• had been resetting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will reset
  simple
• will have reset
  perfect
• will be resetting
  progressive
• will have been resetting
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of reset

First recorded in 1645–55; re- + set

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Explanation

When you reset something, you start it over again or adjust it. If you accidentally set your alarm to go off at 3:00 am, you'll have to sleepily reset it for 7:00 am. You may like to reset your car's odometer before starting a long trip, so you can keep track of your gas mileage. Or, you might tend to reset your alarm clock on the weekends, so it wakes you later. You can also reset many electronics by essentially making them go back to zero, or to a starting point: "I need to reset my cellphone to the original factory settings."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reset resets resetting

She proposed a "growth and investment reset" that ramps up funding to countries in need as part of a set of measures designed to provide sustained support at concessional rates.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

School opened on schedule on Tuesday, but students, families and staff had to reset more than 600,000 passwords.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

There’s a certain reset available in the presence of trees, birds and clouds.

From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2026

One would expect a stock facing rising credit risk to see its valuation reset.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 10, 2026

But by the time I reached into my backpack for it, the ticket screen had reset itself and we had to start all over.

From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks

The current tech selloff could actually be a healthy sign, as resets typically conclude only after the market leaders finally take a hit, according to Lerner.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

By understanding how Spirostomum repeatedly triggers and resets its calcium-driven contraction system, researchers hope to uncover principles that could be adapted for synthetic devices.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026

If they inherit the stock at your death, however, the basis generally resets to its market value at that time, potentially eliminating capital-gains tax on all the appreciation that occurred during your lifetime.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

“Let’s spend the whole day together, let’s be connected, and it just resets us in a nice way for the week.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

If you get eleven negatives and one positive, the requirement resets back to square one.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

He reckons he can make a go of it, cutting the cost of parking and overheads, resetting rents and being more nimble than previous far-flung owners.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

“Rowing, like life, is a constant state of resetting yourself,” says Teagan, explaining the four-stage cycle of a stroke.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

Teen accounts would default to two hours of cumulative daily use across Meta's apps, resetting at midnight.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

That’s one impression from the freakout now attending a repricing in global bond markets that’s resetting the global financial system to its pre-2008 level.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

The cat eyes above the snub nose were alert, blinking and resetting their attention to the growing noise beyond the flats.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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Related Words

• readjust
• reconstruct
• reorganize
• reposition
• reshuffle
• revamp
• rework

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