a reset

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   an act of starting a device, system, or situation again from the beginning.

   Grammar: Countable, so it takes 'a' or a plural: a reset, two resets.

   Patterns

   • a reset of something
   • give something a reset
   • do a reset

   The phone was frozen, so I did a quick reset.

   The company announced a reset of its sales strategy.

   After the argument, they agreed the relationship needed a reset.

2. 2nouncountabletechnical

   the button or control that returns a machine or program to its original settings.

   Grammar: Often used before another noun, as in 'the reset button'.

   Patterns

   • press the reset
   • the reset button

   If the screen stays black, hold the reset for ten seconds.

   She pressed the reset and the game started over.

Word forms

Common combinations

do a reset

Let's do a reset and plan the project from scratch.

a factory reset

A factory reset deletes everything on the phone.

a reset button

The reset button is on the back of the router.

a complete reset

The new manager promised a complete reset of company policy.

press reset

Press reset if the machine stops responding.

Synonyms and how they differ

restart

'Restart' is more common for switching something off and on again, while 'reset' stresses returning it to original settings.

fresh start

'Fresh start' is used mainly about people's lives and plans, not about machines.

Word family

reset verb

to set something back to its starting state.

resettable adjective

able to be reset.

Commonly confused: a reset or restart?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “a reset”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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