Synonyms

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”)

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.

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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.

“Overnight, the regime has already shifted back to the Global Growth Reboot tape, which is how the year started,” analysts at the world’s biggest bank wrote in a note on Wednesday.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

Mr. Sankar is chief technology officer of Palantir Technologies and author of “Mobilize: How to Reboot the American Industrial Base and Stop WWIII,” forthcoming in March.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025

For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, hosts June Thomas and Isaac Butler are joined by author Justin Taylor to discuss the process behind his new novel, Reboot.

From Slate • May 16, 2024

Last year, he traveled the country promoting his book “American Reboot: An Idealist’s Guide to Getting Big Things Done.”

From Washington Times • Oct. 9, 2023

Reboot is certainly a company to pay attention to; it programs interesting, ambitious work that it approaches with creativity, curiosity and joy, but this one got away from it.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 13, 2023

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