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

Mr. Brand devotes many pages to the joys of how-to media, from Diderot’s “Encyclopédie” to “Chilton’s Motorcycle Troubleshooting Guide” to the countless instructional videos available on YouTube today.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

Troubleshooting: If your fritters aren’t spreading, add more water to the batter, 1 tablespoon at a time.

From Washington Post • Dec. 13, 2022

“Oskarshamn’s reactor 3 is disconnected from the power grid due to a turbine shutdown. Troubleshooting is in progress,” plant spokesperson Désirée Liljevall told SVT.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 9, 2022

Troubleshooting efforts proved unsuccessful within the limited time, and at about 8:40 a.m.

From New York Times • Aug. 29, 2022

Troubleshooting Sometimes when you launch an X client from a graphical menu, you won't be able to see any error messages if it fails.

From Debian GNU/Linux : Guide to Installation and Usage by Goerzen, John