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 space shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry because of a piece of foam that the astronaut estimates might have weighed about as much as a Styrofoam container. — Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026 One of the Space Force’s X-37B flights soared to an altitude of more than 24,000 miles before using aerobraking to set up for reentry and landing. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 27 Oct. 2026 Some space debris eventually returns to Earth, and certain components can survive the intense heat of atmospheric reentry. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026 Much of a satellite may burn up during reentry, although heat-resistant components can survive and reach the surface. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 25 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 1 Nov. 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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