claw back

British  

verb

1. to get back (something) with difficulty

2. to recover (a sum of money), esp by taxation or a penalty

---

noun

1. the recovery of a sum of money, esp by taxation or a penalty

2. the sum so recovered

Example Sentences

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is said to be weighing up all options to claw back as much time and money for the taxpayer as possible.

From BBC

“Earlier in 2026, fears around AI disrupting — or even obsoleting — software business models dominated the narrative,” he noted, with the chart above highlighting software stocks that have “managed to claw back losses.”

From MarketWatch

Bankruptcy Court in Houston is scheduled Tuesday to consider whether to eject Wiederhorn, 60 years old, from control of the company in favor of an independent trustee with authority to claw back any payments deemed improper.

From The Wall Street Journal

According to Delia Salvatierra, an immigration attorney based in Phoenix, Arizona, the work of having to claw back immigrants’ belongings from federal agents has had an attritional effect on their ability to get as many migrants out of unlawful detention as possible.

From Salon

My friends didn’t even try to claw back their deposit.

From The Wall Street Journal