reentry

noun

re·​en·​try (ˌ)rē-ˈen-trē How to pronounce reentry (audio)
1
: a retaking possession
especially : entry by a lessor on leased premises on the tenant's failure to perform the conditions of the lease
2
: a second or new entry
3
: a playing card that will enable a player to regain the lead
4
: the action of reentering the earth's atmosphere after travel in space

Examples of reentry in a Sentence

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 minivan-sized mockup reproduced the size and flight characteristics of its reentry module, with avionics to control its autonomous guidance and navigation systems, but the vehicle was far from a space-ready article. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 22 Oct. 2026 Chinese rockets have been a problem in this area before, with unguided reentries and in-orbit breakups in low-Earth orbit. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026 Its flagship course, The Challenge, combines career readiness, personal development, reentry planning and entrepreneurship. — Brian Maass, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 The Houthis’ reentry into the regional conflict in August took place alongside a shift in their political narrative, which increasingly centered on their long-standing adversary, Saudi Arabia. — Laurent Bonnefoy, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reentry

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of reentry was in the 15th century

Rhymes for reentry

See All Rhymes for reentry

Browse Nearby Words

reentrant
reentry
reenvision
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reentry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reentry. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

reentry

noun
re·​en·​try (ˈ)rē-ˈen-trē How to pronounce reentry (audio)
1
: a second or new entry
2
: the action of reentering the earth's atmosphere after travel in space

Medical Definition

reentry

noun
re·​en·​try (ˈ)rē-ˈen-trē How to pronounce reentry (audio)
plural reentries
: a cardiac mechanism that is held to explain certain abnormal heart actions (as tachycardia) and that involves the transmission of a wave of depolarization along an alternate pathway when the original pathway is blocked with return of the impulse along the blocked pathway when the alternate pathway is refractory and then transmission along the open pathway resulting in an abnormality

Legal Definition

reentry

noun
re·​en·​try ˌrē-ˈen-trē How to pronounce reentry (audio)
: a retaking possession of property by a lessor or grantor in exercise of the right to do so upon the failure of the lessee or grantee to fulfill a covenant or condition see also power of termination at power sense 2b

More from Merriam-Webster on reentry

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about reentry

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