restart

verb

re·​start (ˌ)rē-ˈstärt How to pronounce restart (audio)
restarted; restarting; restarts

transitive verb

1
: to start anew
2
: to resume (something, such as an activity) after interruption

intransitive verb

: to resume operation
restartable adjective

Examples of restart in a Sentence

They plan to restart negotiations next week. The tournament will restart tomorrow.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The government last month restarted collections for the millions of people in default on their loans. Arkansas Online, 4 June 2025 But trying to restart talks is worth those dangers. John Delury, Foreign Affairs, 3 June 2025 Spokesperson Ellen Keast told USA TODAY in a statement on Tuesday, June 3, that the Department of Education has not offset any Social Security benefits since collections restarted last month. Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 3 June 2025 The Trump administration restarted federal collections on defaulted student loans after a five-year pause, marking the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that recipients have been at risk of losing part of their Social Security income to student loan debt. Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for restart

Word History

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of restart was in 1749

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Restart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restart. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

restart

verb
re·​start rē-ˈstärt How to pronounce restart (audio)
1
: to start anew
restarted the car
2
a
: to resume (as an activity) after an interruption
will restart the game
b
: to resume operation
the rides will restart after one hour
restart
ˈrē-ˌstärt
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on restart

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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