reset
Americanverb (used with object)
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resets,
present (3rd person singular)
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reset,
past participle, past
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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
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resets
plural
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an act or instance of setting again.
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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
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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
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have resetperfect
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has resetperfect
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am resettingprogressive
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are resettingprogressive
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is resettingprogressive
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have been resettingperfect progressive
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has been resettingperfect progressive
Past
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resetsimple
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had resetperfect
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was resettingprogressive
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were resettingprogressive
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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:
He creates a buffer ETF ladder with staggered reset dates and maturities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
They now have two weeks at Cobham to reset, facing Alonso's former club Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, 15 August, before visiting Fulham for their opening Premier League fixture on Monday, 24 August.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
Gains have been helped this week by hopes that the US-Iran truce will be reset after weeks of tit-for-tat strikes.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
To immediately hinder hacking attempts, the agency recommended that water systems should be immediately removed from the internet as soon as possible and reset passwords.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
He started counting them down, “Nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen, fifteen ... Twenty, nineteen ...” Each time he hit fifteen he reset back to twenty.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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
Target’s turnaround is gaining traction with accelerating store resets, 5.6% Q1 same-store sales, and new customer growth.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
We have—what—five weeks of normalcy, and then the whole world resets.
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
The reading, which followed a mellow consumer-price index print the day before, is resetting expectations about what the Federal Reserve will do next month—and in a positive way.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
In any case, the daylong cruise served its purpose of resetting the week and reconnecting the friends.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Back then, it was a way of "resetting" Franco-German relations and pooling what were, at the time, more "limited" financial resources in terms of defence expenditure, Bergs explained.
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
“While we are resetting near-term expectations, we expect that these actions will help set the stage for enhanced top and bottom-line results in 2027,” the CEO said.
From Barron's ● May 7, 2026
It took all day, tacking against the wind, resetting the sails, rowing, tacking again, and rowing some more.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
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.
