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

---

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

---

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

“I just feel like we are just starting to get our flowers and reap some of the benefits of hard work, blood, sweat and tears that we put into it.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 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

Perhaps last winter's omission focused his mind, allowing Joe Root to now reap the rewards.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

The automobile industry, however, was not content simply to reap the benefits of government-subsidized road construction.

From "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal" by Eric Schlosser

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

The party also reaps domestic gains from its push for cultural appeal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 31, 2026

“It’s not only good for them, but it’s also good for the district, because increased retention means consistency in the staff at our school sites, and that reaps benefits for students as well.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2025

Mykhailo Podolyak, a long-term aide to President Zelensky added: "War is war, with its own rules, where the aggressor inevitably reaps corresponding outcomes."

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 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

In an era of higher interest rates, banks have reaped big profits due to consumers’ reluctance to move money out of low-interest checking accounts that offer convenience and ready access to money.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

Some analysts had been concerned that gains that airlines like Lufthansa reaped from an Asia windfall brought on by the Iran war would fade fast now that carrier capacity in the Gulf is fully reinstated.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

So I let it go- We must have reaped every last strawberry before she stood up, put her arm in mine and escorted me down the mountain.

From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

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

Its tanker business’ 70:30 term-to-spot portfolio should provide earnings stability while reaping benefits from tanker rates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

Now, the commodities tycoon is reaping the benefits.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 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

After the reaping, everyone is supposed to celebrate.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

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