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

Etymology

Origin of reset

First recorded in 1645–55; re- + set

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

The comparison should help determine whether CAR T cells produce stronger or longer-lasting effects and whether they truly reset immune memory.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026

And because she hasn’t been at the company very long, I think it’s absolutely possible that you two can reset and mend your relationship.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026

The reset was driven by the rising cost of memory chips, Acree writes, noting that Nvidia is raising prices in the first quarter but also absorbing part of the cost inflation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Sharma told the BBC the "reset" was "to help ensure we are here for the next 25 years and we're continuing to serve our purpose".

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

“It was truly awesome to meet you. But I gotta get going. The server is about to reset, and I want to clear out of here before all of those traps and undead respawn.”

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

“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

Even now, when I step into that water, something in me resets.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026

Retail investors often view drops in shares as buying opportunities, treating each sell-off as a "test of conviction", she says, but they need to be aware of "how painful valuation resets can be".

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

At Goldman, Solomon said that the AI investment cycle would inevitably have bumps in the road, including potential market resets, but predicted those hiccups would be temporary.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

We have—what—five weeks of normalcy, and then the whole world resets.

From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli

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

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

Other states, such as California, have laws discouraging selling by only resetting values for local real estate taxes when properties change hands.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026

Here she remade herself as a low-key singer-songwriter dispensing wise yet unflashy tunes about love, home and family — part of a gentle resetting of pop’s mood after the turmoil of the previous decade.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

But Kendall said the ban was "as much about helping future generations and resetting social norms in future as it is about young people today".

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026

She had turned the corner, resetting back to her late twenties.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

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