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)
-
(tr) to reimburse or compensate (someone), as for a loss
-
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
-
recoupsimple
-
recoupssimple
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have recoupedperfect
-
has recoupedperfect
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am recoupingprogressive
-
are recoupingprogressive
-
is recoupingprogressive
-
have been recoupingperfect progressive
-
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:
Because grid costs are shared, other electricity customers would be left to pick up the tab—and help a utility recoup its investment—if a data-center project falls through.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Even with the fuel surcharges, trucking companies don’t fully recoup what they pay for diesel, Costello said, and many offer pay bonuses to fuel-efficient drivers.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
To recoup costs, many are sold to liquidators or they can be resold to consumers as “in good condition” or “not in original packaging.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
The measure also calls for the new state fund to establish regulations that would allow it to recoup part of its investments, while not damaging innovation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
In order to recoup his costs, he set out a cash basket and a sign with the suggested price.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
A mint Cartier watch recoups two-thirds of its original price.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
If a dental practice underdelivers – classed as below 96% of the contract value – the NHS then recoups money from practices the following year.
From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2026
Usually, she said, the agent pays that fee and recoups it once you sell.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 24, 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
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
But with this particular ETF, missed coupons may be recouped should the reference asset climb back above the barrier, Staudt noted.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
U.S. stocks recouped some of their recent losses as oil prices stabilized and confidence grew in the Federal Reserve’s ability to contain inflation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
But the club also recouped more than £300m in sales and lost the experience of players such as 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, former captain Bernardo Silva and England international John Stones.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
City have recouped more than £250m from selling young players over the past five years alone.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
In some cases, in lieu of money, the contractor received the nomination of all or some of the officers, and recouped himself by selling the commissions.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 6 "Armour Plates" to "Arundel, Earls of" by Various
Monday’s launch is also Starship’s first revenue-generating flight, which will allow SpaceX to begin recouping some of the $15 billion-plus it has spent on the rocket.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
But recouping money usually isn’t enough for a studio like Warner Bros., which is always looking for profit margin, not break-even figures.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
But representatives for landlords say doing so would leave them with few desirable options for recouping the cost of utilities and would hurt conservation efforts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 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
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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
