reboot
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to restart (a computer) by loading the operating system; boot again.
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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.
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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.
verb (used without object)
noun
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an act or instance of restarting a computer.
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an act or instance of making a change in order to establish a new beginning.
a reboot of our product line.
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a distinctly new version of an established media franchise.
The show will be a gritty reboot of the classic TV series from the 1970s.
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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rebootsimple
-
rebootssimple
-
have rebootedperfect
-
has rebootedperfect
-
am rebootingprogressive
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are rebootingprogressive
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is rebootingprogressive
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have been rebootingperfect progressive
-
has been rebootingperfect progressive
Past
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rebootedsimple
-
had rebootedperfect
-
was rebootingprogressive
-
were rebootingprogressive
-
had been rebootingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of reboot
First recorded in 1970–75; re- ( def. ) + boot 1 (in the sense “to start a computer”)
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.
Vocabulary lists containing reboot
Computer Science and Technology - Introductory
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Computer Science and Technology - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
You don't need to look hard to find a film or TV fan who will say a reboot is never as good as the original.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
But this makes the “Little House on the Prairie” reboot look all the more admirable even with its soft edges.
From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026
Well, if the star were alive, he might just agree that the show has been ripe for a reboot since it first hit the airwaves in 1974.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
That should make up for the “pause” in production of Bravo’s “Ladies of London” reboot.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
I desperately wished I could reboot and start over.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
Rather than chasing sequels and reboots, Netflix is betting its 2026 film strategy on a massive investment in original storytelling and a renewed focus on the theatrical comedy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 19, 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
And John Nugent, from Empire, says previous reboots have veered into the realms of parody but this revival "goes back to basics".
From BBC ● Feb. 4, 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
The 31-year-old actor who recently starred in Nosferatu and Juror #2 feels confident that this version of Superman will buck the trend of failed reboots.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2025
Some OpenAI developers hacked the site to get 200 water bottles, so it had to be rebooted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 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
However, gold saw selling earlier in the session after pushing above $5,500, recovered, then selling rebooted later in the day.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 30, 2026
Piper explained her version of events—how she’d rebooted the metal dragon with charmspeak.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
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
Despite everything, from the years of backlash to the personal confrontations she’s had with former contestants, Banks in the documentary still had her mind on rebooting “ANTM.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2026
The funding includes rebooting a closed Air Force program.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025
He enticed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit China over the weekend for the first time in seven years, rebooting a key economic and strategic relationship.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2025
The NeuroLink comes back online, my profile rebooting in the corner of my view.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
