troubleshooting

American  

[truhb-uhl-shoot-ing] / ˈtrʌb əlˌʃut ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or process of discovering and resolving problems, disputes, or mechanical or technical issues.

   The first step in cellphone troubleshooting is simple: restart your device.

   The customer support position involves troubleshooting, researching solutions, and providing resolutions to consumer problems.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the process of discovering and resolving problems, disputes, or mechanical or technical issues.

   If you’ve already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, please make sure to mention them.

Etymology

Origin of troubleshooting

First recorded in 1915–20; troubleshoot ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun; troubleshoot ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective

Example Sentences

I suspect I’ve logged more hours troubleshooting hotel TVs than I have watching programs on hotel TVs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

The staff at units handling return processing, customer service and troubleshooting are almost 20% smaller, according to a Treasury Department watchdog report last fall.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 8, 2026

Its help center includes detailed articles on setup, troubleshooting and router installation.

From Salon • Dec. 12, 2025

"From selecting materials and 3D printing, to troubleshooting electronics and satisfying requirements, working collaboratively with Yuji and Xinyu has been extremely rewarding," he said.

From Science Daily • Nov. 7, 2025

The troubleshooting sheet has a list of things to try if communication is lost.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir