reap

American  

[reep] / rip /

verb (used with object)

• reaps,
  present (3rd person singular)
• reaped,
  past participle,  past
• reaping
  present participle

1. 

   to cut (wheat, rye, etc.) with a sickle or other implement or a machine, as in harvest.

2. to gather or take (a crop, harvest, etc.).

3. to get as a return, recompense, or result.

   to reap large profits.

   Synonyms:

   win, gain, realize, earn, gather

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verb (used without object)

• reaps,
  present (3rd person singular)
• reaped,
  past participle,  past
• reaping
  present participle

1. to reap a crop, harvest, etc.

reap British  

/ riːp /

verb

1. to cut or harvest (a crop), esp corn, from (a field or tract of land)

2. (tr) to gain or get (something) as a reward for or result of some action or enterprise

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• reapable
  adjective
• unreaped
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• reaping
  present
• reaped
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• reap
  simple
• reaps
  simple
• have reaped
  perfect
• has reaped
  perfect
• am reaping
  progressive
• are reaping
  progressive
• is reaping
  progressive
• have been reaping
  perfect progressive
• has been reaping
  perfect progressive

Past

• reaped
  simple
• had reaped
  perfect
• was reaping
  progressive
• were reaping
  progressive
• had been reaping
  perfect progressive

Future

• will reap
  simple
• will have reaped
  perfect
• will be reaping
  progressive
• will have been reaping
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of reap

before 900; Middle English repen, Old English repan, riopan; cognate with Middle Low German repen to ripple (flax); akin to ripe

Explanation

When you reap something, you enjoy the rewards of your efforts. When your great audition gets you cast in your dream role, you reap the benefits of all that rehearsing you did. Reap can also describe the act of harvesting crops. The farmer will then sell the crop, reaping a profit. Here, reap means the same as gain. You may have heard the expression "what you reap is what you sow," which comes from the New Testament and can apply to farming and everything else — if, for example, you are patient with other people, they in turn will be patient with you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reap reaps reaped reaping

Among the culprits: owners letting their land, the youths delivering the fuel to run the mining machinery, but also "certain officials" in both Ivory Coast and abroad financing illegal mines to reap the profits.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

In taking the coastal areas around Bab el-Mandeb village, they reap the benefit of Emirati investment, manifested in kilometers of paved highways that stand in stark contrast to much of Yemen’s road network.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

However, market upheavals like this are exactly when independent traders who shift oil, natural gas and metals around the world and are willing to take the risks get to reap giant profits.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

Switching high-yield savings accounts likely won’t reap much extra interest money, McAdam noted, but it’s worth considering during a periodic look at one’s finances.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026

But his good luck caused a third development, so that he did not reap the fruits of his ill-advised decision.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli

It could be years before the U.S. reaps any tangible benefits from its oil reserves, even as resentment in Venezuela grows.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

They follow a pledge by leader Kim Jong Un to bolster nuclear forces, as Pyongyang reaps the benefits of deeper ties with Russia and sharpens its invective against US ally South Korea.

From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 2026

Even as it reaps the fruits of this durian diplomacy, it is eyeing what state media calls "durian freedom".

From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2026

When the rich do well, the state government reaps a bonanza.

From New York Times ● May 15, 2024

"What a man sows on his name day, he reaps throughout the year."

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

Banks reaped the rewards of SpaceX’s historic initial public offering, while market volatility kept trading floors bustling.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

But the programs that have stuck to the Southland have reaped the benefits.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

The gains were helped by international growth, as bigger artists went on bigger tours and Live Nation reaped the rewards of venue purchases in cities like Paris and Milan.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026

Banks reaped the rewards of the historic initial public offering of SpaceX, with other blockbuster stock-market debuts such as OpenAI in the pipeline.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

But the rice he reaped from the land of the Hwangs brought him twice as much as that from his own rice land.

From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck

In today’s music industry, when artists aren’t reaping the full benefits of the recording economy because of streaming platforms, the live experience is as vital as ever.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

This is a good operational definition of moderation, and he is reaping its rewards.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

He needed to be patient to overcome an issue which lingers if not properly rested and, having played consistently over the past two seasons, is now reaping the rewards.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

The price of memory chips have jumped as a result, with Micron and its Korea-based peers, Samsung and SK Hynix reaping the benefits.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

"Your friend Gale. He's the one who took your sister away at the reaping?"

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

• bring in
• derive
• gain
• garner
• obtain
• produce
• realize
• receive
• recover
• take in