troubleshoot

or trou·ble-shoot

[ truhb-uhl-shoot ]

verb (used without object)

, trou·ble·shoot·ed or trou·ble·shot, trou·ble·shoot·ing.

1. to act or be employed as an expert in discovering and eliminating problems or malfunctions in software, mechanical equipment, etc.:

   She troubleshoots for a large industrial firm.

verb (used with object)

, trou·ble·shoot·ed or trou·ble·shot, trou·ble·shoot·ing.

1. to discover and eliminate problems or malfunctions in (software, mechanical equipment, etc.):

   When using web conferencing platforms, it's important to troubleshoot your tech before joining the call.

2. to discover and eliminate (problems or malfunctions in software, mechanical equipment, etc):

   I had to troubleshoot an error that was freezing me out of the program.

Word History and Origins

Origin of troubleshoot¹

First recorded in 1930–35; back formation from troubleshooter

Example Sentences

Later in the program, students will learn to operate and troubleshoot high-tech equipment, and read and understand chemical labels.

From Los Angeles Times

Eastern time, was more than an hour later than planned, after the troubleshooting of several malfunctioning thrusters.

From New York Times

But engineers found a small helium leak in the Starliner, requiring arduous troubleshooting.

From New York Times

Examples of self-care techniques included breathing and meditation; troubleshooting behaviors associated with dementia; and peer-to-peer support within a virtual group setting.

From Science Daily

His duties included supervising teams of electrical technicians also employed by Altech, documents say, and his specialty was electrical troubleshooting.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• balance
• correct
• fine-tune
• fix
• improve
• overhaul
• readjust
• regulate
• tighten

More About Troubleshoot

What does troubleshoot mean?

To troubleshoot is to resolve a dispute, fix a problem, or eliminate something that causes trouble, as in Before throwing away your toaster, why not troubleshoot it to find the problem?

To troubleshoot is also to act or work as a troubleshooter, as in Naomi was promoted to troubleshoot the IT department’s toughest issues. A troubleshooter is often a person with good problem-solving skills and a deep knowledge about the thing they’re troubleshooting. 

Both troubleshooted and troubleshot are acceptable past tense versions of the verb troubleshoot. Because shooted is not the past tense of shoot, you may hear troubleshot more often.

Example: I tried to troubleshoot the app myself, but it just isn’t working right.

Where does troubleshoot come from?

The first records of the term troubleshoot come from around the 1930s. It is a backformation of the term troubleshooter, which is “a person with special skill in resolving disputes or eliminating the cause of trouble.” 

Most frequently we hear of troubleshooting in regards to a piece of equipment, especially computers and other electronics. Computers sometimes have troubleshooting software to help identify problems. Most of us seem to rely on our troubleshooting friends when our electronics won’t function correctly, however.

You can also troubleshoot a dispute or impasse between two or more people, analyzing a deal or discussion to find out why the individuals cannot agree or compromise. When troubleshooting people’s interactions in the field of business, national, or international relations, troubleshooters will have to be familiar with the culture and boundaries of both parties and may have to speak with each individually to gather information about the problem.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to troubleshoot?

• troubleshooting (adjective, noun)

What are some synonyms for troubleshoot?

• adjust
• balance
• correct
• regulate
• tighten

What are some words that share a root or word element with troubleshoot? 

• trouble
• shoot
• troubleshooter

What are some words that often get used in discussing troubleshoot?

• business
• computer
• machinery
• mechanics

How is troubleshoot used in real life?

Troubleshoot is most often used in reference to computers.

I used to roll my eyes when my parents asked me to help them with technology.

Then I had kids.

I just asked my 7-year-old to troubleshoot the toaster.

— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@XplodingUnicorn) April 26, 2018

EU VALORANT servers are having issues with game starts and character selects. We're rebooting a number of services to troubleshoot the problem and will have a time-to-fix when we know what's going on.

— VALORANT (@PlayVALORANT) April 21, 2020

Weighing the shame of calling alexa customer service to troubleshoot my echo Big Mouth Billy Bass

— Jenny Nicholson (@JennyENicholson) June 21, 2020

Updated on February 27, 2023

Try using troubleshoot!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym of troubleshoot?

A. correct
B. overhaul
C. destroy
D. balance