reset
Americanverb (used with object)
-
resets,
present (3rd person singular)
-
reset,
past participle, past
-
resetting
present participle
-
to set again.
to reset an alarm clock; to reset a broken bone.
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to set, adjust, or fix in a new or different way.
to reset priorities; to reset prices.
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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.
verb (used without object)
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resets,
present (3rd person singular)
-
reset,
past participle, past
-
resetting
present participle
noun
-
resets
plural
-
an act or instance of setting again.
-
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.
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something that is set again.
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a plant that is replanted.
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a device used in resetting an instrument or control mechanism.
verb
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to set again (a broken bone, matter in type, a gemstone, etc)
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to restore (a gauge, dial, etc) to zero
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Also: clear. to restore (the contents of a register or similar device) in a computer system to zero
noun
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the act or an instance of setting again
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a thing that is set again
-
a plant that has been recently transplanted
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a device for resetting instruments, controls, etc
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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resetsimple
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resetssimple
-
have resetperfect
-
has resetperfect
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am resettingprogressive
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are resettingprogressive
-
is resettingprogressive
-
have been resettingperfect progressive
-
has been resettingperfect progressive
Past
-
resetsimple
-
had resetperfect
-
was resettingprogressive
-
were resettingprogressive
-
had been resettingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of reset
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
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:
My friends came and took care of me, one of my friends worked at a juice store so for a few weeks, I only drank juice to just reset my whole body.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2026
It should reset some of the swirl of self-reinforcing negativity.
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026
After someone publicly asked him to reset the usage limits on SpaceX’s agent, he said on X that the “cost of serving Grok Bot was unsustainably high relative to revenue.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2026
“Taking off the uniform does not reset a family’s finances.”
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 11, 2026
When the timer rang, Fadi reset it for five seconds and used the tongs to pull out the paper and slip it into the indicator stop bath.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
Lee's mother, Michelle Lee, raised her concerns on 6 November 2023 about the number of resets and reflections he was being given.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026
The risk is that market rates may rise by the time the loan resets, leading to higher monthly payments than with a traditional mortgage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
When he leaves, the landlord resets the rent to market value with new renovations, and the new tenant gets the same protections as the previous tenant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
"Sleep is when your brain stores memories, clears waste and resets," Corral explained.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
As I look on, the NeuroLink’s new algorithm resets the colors.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
A "resetting" of policing priorities in London will mean that some incidents at major events and protests will now "take longer to squash", the Metropolitan Police has said.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
They offer a discounted borrowing rate for an extended period—typically three to 10 years—before floating to the market rate and continually resetting for the life of the loan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Because of those three reasons for higher inflation, he outlined that the probability of firms resetting their annualized prices in January has also increased.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
With a new general manager in Ariana Andonian, the Sparks are facing an offseason of resetting — again, without Ogwumike — but at least with some assets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
All of the time I was resetting my traps I kept looking around in the trees for a monkey.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
