recoup
Americanverb (used with object)
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to get back the equivalent of.
to recoup one's losses by a lucky investment.
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to regain or recover.
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to reimburse or indemnify; pay back.
to recoup a person for expenses.
- Synonyms:
- remunerate, recompense
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Law. to withhold (a portion of something due), having some rightful claim to do so.
verb (used without object)
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to get back an equivalent, as of something lost.
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Law. (of a defendant in a lawsuit) to plead that one is owed, in the same matter, an amount by the plaintiff which applies against the payment of one’s own debt to the plaintiff.
noun
verb
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to regain or make good (a financial or other loss)
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(tr) to reimburse or compensate (someone), as for a loss
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law to keep back (something due), having rightful claim to do so; withhold; deduct
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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recoupsimple
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recoupssimple
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have recoupedperfect
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has recoupedperfect
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are recoupingprogressive
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am recoupingprogressive
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is recoupingprogressive
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have been recoupingperfect progressive
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has been recoupingperfect progressive
Past
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recoupedsimple
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had recoupedperfect
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was recoupingprogressive
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were recoupingprogressive
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had been recoupingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of recoup
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French recouper “to cut back, cut again,” equivalent to re- re- ( def. ) + couper “to cut”; see coup 1 ( def. )
Explanation
To recoup is a kind of recovery: If you lost some money but then made that amount back, you recouped your loss. When you recuperate, you get better after being sick. And when you recoup something, you get better or bounce back after a loss. Businesses that lose money try to recoup it by throwing a sale or cutting their budget. If a runner falls behind in a race but then speeds up to the front of the pack, he's recouped his lead. In some cases this word also means "to reimburse."
Vocabulary lists containing recoup
The Joy Luck Club
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The Distance Between Us
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The Odyssey
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He outlined an alternate way Lively could try to recoup damages, using a different procedural path.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
In 2026, some of the cities have responded by trying to recoup the security and transport costs of hosting the tournament.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
UFC's parent company said in February the fight will cost at least $60 million to stage, but that it hoped to recoup around half that in corporate sponsorships and other sources.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
It’s sad and stony-hearted that the Lakers should unload LeBron James, recoup resources, unload his albatross-like salary, and build a championship contender bolstered by Luka Doncic.
From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2026
No, I had to cancel the dance, recoup what I could, and eat the rest.
From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
