# restart

/ɹiˈstɑɹt/ (US) · /ɹɪstˈɑːt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/restart
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to begin again

verb · CEFR A2

to start an activity or process again after a pause or interruption.

For teachers: to resume an action, process, or event after a temporary cessation.

- The referee decided to restart the game after the rain stopped.
- The committee agreed to restart the negotiations once both parties had reviewed the updated financial projections.

### 2. to reboot a device

verb · CEFR A2

to turn a computer or phone off and then back on to fix a problem.

For teachers: to shut down and immediately reboot a computer system or electronic device.

- If your laptop is running slowly, you should try to restart it.
- The system administrator advised all employees to restart their workstations to ensure the security patches were correctly applied.

### 3. a new beginning

noun · CEFR B1

the act of starting something again.

For teachers: an instance of starting over or beginning a process again.

- The team needed a fresh restart after losing three games in a row.
- The sudden power failure forced a complete restart of the manufacturing sequence, resulting in significant delays for the afternoon shift.

## Examples

- I need to restart my computer to install the updates.
- If the application continues to freeze, you should try to restart the device before calling technical support.
- The negotiators agreed to restart the peace talks next month, hoping that the recent ceasefire would provide a more stable foundation for a lasting agreement.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.
