retry

British  

/ riːˈtraɪ /

verb

1. (tr) to try again (a case already determined); give a new trial to

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Explanation

In law, to hold another trial for a case is to retry it. It's not legal in the U.S. to retry a defendant for a crime after she's been found innocent. A judge might decide to retry a case if the jury can't come to a unanimous decision, or if a jury member is found to be biased. And when the defendant in a case is found guilty, they can appeal the decision in the hopes that the court will retry it, sometimes using a new attorney or new evidence. You probably won't use this verb to literally mean "try again" — you're more likely to say reattempt.

Example Sentences

Prosecutors chose to retry the Mann count, leading to the third trial.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

After the Supreme Court’s February ruling, even Drummond himself said it “would be difficult” to retry Glossip after so many years.

From Slate • Jun. 16, 2025

Todd Spitzer has said he would retry the case.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2025

Prosecutors have refused to close the case and are reserving the right to retry her.

From Slate • Nov. 15, 2024

"Judge, they're the ones that are trying to retry this case and we need our people inside," Valeska countered.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson