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

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Etymology

Origin of reset

First recorded in 1645–55; re- + set

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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

She proposed a "growth and investment reset" that ramps up funding to countries in need as part of a set of measures designed to provide sustained support at concessional rates.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

School opened on schedule on Tuesday, but students, families and staff had to reset more than 600,000 passwords.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

There’s a certain reset available in the presence of trees, birds and clouds.

From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2026

The long-term nature of the leverage will also spare traders from the intense volatility decay experienced from holding leveraged ETFs that see big price swings and that reset daily.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 10, 2026

“My ‘umi said they'll close the Institute if the prison isn't reset.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

The current tech selloff could actually be a healthy sign, as resets typically conclude only after the market leaders finally take a hit, according to Lerner.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

"Sleep is when your brain stores memories, clears waste and resets," Corral explained.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

The adaptation resets Sophocles’ tragedy to Aztec culture in a transposition that is both visually and musically enlivening.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

CAR-T has offered the possibility of a single treatment that resets the immune system for life.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

Marie-Laure bends beside the hall table and finds the thread and resets the trip wire.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

Winters also advises "completely resetting" a loved ones digital footprint by changing telephone numbers, email address and social media accounts.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

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

If it had deployed during your wife’s crash, the computer that monitors the system would have likely needed replacing or resetting, in addition to the impact sensors in the bumper and doors.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

While the boy went up and down the empty hallways, cleaning banisters with bleach water, Etta came by the kitchen to report that Arnold Myerson had gotten sick, resetting the quarantine clock.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

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Related Words

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

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