troubleshooting

American  

[truhb-uhl-shoot-ing] / ˈtrʌb əlˌʃut ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or process of discovering and resolving problems, disputes, or mechanical or technical issues.

   The first step in cellphone troubleshooting is simple: restart your device.

   The customer support position involves troubleshooting, researching solutions, and providing resolutions to consumer problems.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the process of discovering and resolving problems, disputes, or mechanical or technical issues.

   If you’ve already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, please make sure to mention them.

Etymology

Origin of troubleshooting

First recorded in 1915–20; troubleshoot ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun; troubleshoot ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective

Example Sentences

The data collected — including health monitoring and yes, troubleshooting fussy toilets — will inform future off-planet missions.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026

They spent less than an hour troubleshooting the pour.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

However, by rapidly sorting through massive health datasets, generative AI may allow researchers to spend less time troubleshooting code and more time interpreting results and asking meaningful scientific questions.

From Science Daily • Feb. 21, 2026

The staff at units handling return processing, customer service and troubleshooting are almost 20% smaller, according to a Treasury Department watchdog report last fall.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 8, 2026

Through 1935, the twenty-seven-inch had exhibited a persistent tetchiness that kept grad students and technicians busy troubleshooting in its innards for hours on end.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik