recoup
Americanverb (used with object)
-
recoups,
present (3rd person singular)
-
recouped,
past participle, past
-
recouping
present participle
-
to get back the equivalent of.
to recoup one's losses by a lucky investment.
-
to regain or recover.
-
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)
-
recoups,
present (3rd person singular)
-
recouped,
past participle, past
-
recouping
present participle
-
to get back an equivalent, as of something lost.
-
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
-
recoupssimple
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have recoupedperfect
-
has recoupedperfect
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am recoupingprogressive
-
are recoupingprogressive
-
is recoupingprogressive
-
have been recoupingperfect progressive
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has been recoupingperfect progressive
Past
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recoupedsimple
-
had recoupedperfect
-
was recoupingprogressive
-
were recoupingprogressive
-
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.
See Examples For:
But the department store is seeking to recoup costs from the estate, according to Harrods and lawyers involved in the negotiations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
In an effort to recoup what they’ve lost, they took to the fundraising platform GoFundMe to raise approximately $28,000.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
Another motion directs the city attorney to explore legal action against any responsible parties to recoup taxpayer dollars spent on the emergency.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
However, UFC was able to recoup some money through sponsorships, media exposure and other partnerships.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
It had begun to hit him, now that he had gotten back; he wondered if he would be able to recoup enough for the job ahead.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
The index recoups some losses premarket, as Nasdaq futures gain 0.45%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025
The RSN recoups that by charging cable distributors a licensing amount to carry their channel in as many places as possible.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 31, 2023
Soto said as he stepped through his mud-streaked living room to his patio, adding that he plans to rebuild, no matter what he recoups from insurance policies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2022
CCI says it represents more than 75% of trusts and health boards, and recoups money from visitors for NHS care.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2021
Four prosperous years have since added to their numbers, and the rent they pay more than recoups the Treasury for the interest on its outlay in the purchase and settlement.
From The Long White Cloud by William Pember Reeves
Big budget films like The Marvels and The Thunderbolts recouped their production costs but were among the studio's lowest-grossing films.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
It is a noble mission; movie theaters need all the help they can get and heading into its second weekend, “The Odyssey” has already more than recouped its $250 million production budget.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
They said he faced an “unrecoverable loss” since the money likely couldn’t be recouped even if he eventually prevails.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 51.96, or 0.2%,to 25870.65, as beaten-down semiconductor stocks recouped some losses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
How are the great expenditures of the war to be recouped?
From Porto Rico Its History, Products and Possibilities... by Arthur D. Hall
The U.S. dollar rose against rivals, recouping initial losses as traders weighed the inflation outlook.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
On Thursday, he said the underlying agreement on recouping the toll revenues between Canada and the state of Michigan remains in place.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
But that’s also what gives the movie its charm, especially considering it’s a big-budget studio production that never had a shot at recouping the studio’s investment, even if it were successful.
From Salon ● Jun. 10, 2026
Pretax profit dropped 29%, though the retailer said its performance rebounded in the second half and that it was recouping losses from last year’s cyberattack.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
Orion had other projects for recouping me, but as they always required capital I stayed out of them, and they did not materialize.
From Chapters from My Autobiography by Mark Twain
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.
