recap
1 Americanverb (used with object)
noun
noun
verb (used with or without object)
verb
noun
-
informal recapitulation
-
another name for retread
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of recap1
First recorded in 1935–40; re- + cap 1
Origin of recap2
First recorded in 1945–50; by shortening
Explanation
To recap is to briefly explain something by giving just the main points or details. You might write a popular blog in which you recap episodes of your favorite TV shows. Some shows on television begin with a recap of the previous episode, so viewers can refresh their memories about what's happening in the story so far. A book review is sometimes nothing more than a recap of the plot. And if you miss an important meeting of your Spanish club, the secretary's minutes will recap what was discussed. Recap is a shortened form of recapitulate, "summarize," from the Latin recapitulare, "go over the main points again."
Vocabulary lists containing recap
"The Latehomecomer," Vocabulary from the memoir excerpt
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"The Latehomecomer" by Kao Kalia Yang
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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.
See Examples For:
As a quick recap, rules that were introduced to the white-ball team in January were kept in place for the Test side at the beginning of the home summer.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
“I think this will be remembered fondly,” he claimed at a legislative recap event at the University of Denver on Tuesday.
From Slate ● May 21, 2026
A recap of consumer prices in April showed inflation climbing to a three-year high.
From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026
Stephen’s analyst Raj Kumar is also bullish, highlighting in his earnings recap how Option Care reaffirmed its full year adjusted EPS target of $1.82 to $1.92.
From Barron's ● May 1, 2026
Unlike the chairs at the Academy, which were always in a room all by themselves, these chairs were set up in pairs with one joint recap screen directly in front of the set.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
As Dobbins put it, the event was recapped on both celebrity gossip site “DeuxMoi and LinkedIn.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
The clips boomerang around the internet and get analyzed and recapped for everyone by Sunday morning.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
His recent visit to Vietnam was recapped on TikTok over a techno rave soundtrack.
From BBC ● May 1, 2025
If there is value in seeing these events recapped, it is in the power of seeing the parents confront Jones in court.
From New York Times ● Mar. 26, 2024
“Ziggy seems like a great dog,” he says, once I’ve recapped my conversation with Mae.
From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks
The second part of the series’ two-part finale, released Wednesday, concludes with the “Clarkson’s Farm” crew recapping the ups and downs of their harvest year and with the show’s namesake back in a hospital bed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
“We still believe this will be the year of the IPO,” Blackstone President Jon Gray said on a video recapping the firm’s first-quarter results.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
That’s the “clear consensus” in Hollywood, MoffettNathanson analyst Robert Fishman said on Tuesday, while recapping a recent trip to meet with media executives in Los Angeles.
From Barron's ● Dec. 24, 2025
Last I checked, Owens’ video recapping her meeting with Erika had accrued 3.5 million views.
From Slate ● Dec. 22, 2025
It was late that night when Katherine and Jimmy tucked the girls into their beds and collapsed onto their own bed, but they stayed up even later laughing and gossiping, recapping the family gathering.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
