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 have 30 days to decide whether to retry the case.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

The government intends to retry the case “as soon as possible,” Assistant U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a question about whether they would seek to retry Murillo.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 19, 2025

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

"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