reboot

American

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

verb (used with object)

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

(of a computer) to be restarted.

noun

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

a reboot of our product line.
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

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

reboot Cultural

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.

Etymology

Origin of reboot

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

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.

And for that to happen, the AI trade needs a reboot.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

“You can’t just reboot the Strait of Hormuz like you can change tariffs rates,” Antonelli said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

The demand for actors to reprise their most famous roles for the sake of dredging whatever value — read: money — is left from the property has to die, along with this reboot.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

Here is everything we know so far about the HBO reboot, which is a spin-off from the original books and the subsequent film franchise.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

I had only about five minutes alone to soak in a warm bath and reboot myself for what came next.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023