recap
1 Americanverb (used with object)
noun
noun
verb (used with or without object)
verb
noun
-
informal recapitulation
-
another name for retread
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of recap1
First recorded in 1935–40; re- + cap 1
Origin of recap2
First recorded in 1945–50; by shortening
Explanation
To recap is to briefly explain something by giving just the main points or details. You might write a popular blog in which you recap episodes of your favorite TV shows. Some shows on television begin with a recap of the previous episode, so viewers can refresh their memories about what's happening in the story so far. A book review is sometimes nothing more than a recap of the plot. And if you miss an important meeting of your Spanish club, the secretary's minutes will recap what was discussed. Recap is a shortened form of recapitulate, "summarize," from the Latin recapitulare, "go over the main points again."
Vocabulary lists containing recap
"The Latehomecomer," Vocabulary from the memoir excerpt
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"The Latehomecomer" by Kao Kalia Yang
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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:
Here is a recap of notable comments Trump made in public remarks and on social media during half a year of war:
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
She now watches Owens’s show, on every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and creates recap videos on her Instagram page, which has amassed nearly 100,000 followers and is regularly reposted by Owens herself.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
This is an edition of the Markets P.M. newsletter, a recap of the day’s most important markets moves, delivered after the closing bell.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
“I think this will be remembered fondly,” he claimed at a legislative recap event at the University of Denver on Tuesday.
From Slate ● May 21, 2026
“Shall we watch the recap of the reapings?” says Effie, dabbing at the corners of her mouth with a white linen napkin.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
As Dobbins put it, the event was recapped on both celebrity gossip site “DeuxMoi and LinkedIn.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
There was some very uplifting, and very un-Traitors-esque music, as we recapped some moments from each of the finalists' time in the castle.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2025
Every lyric is recapped as a presumed confession, combed for autobiographical Easter eggs and compared, true crime Reddit-style, to the forensic files of her life and loves.
From Salon ● Apr. 19, 2024
If there is value in seeing these events recapped, it is in the power of seeing the parents confront Jones in court.
From New York Times ● Mar. 26, 2024
I recapped all of this to Trevor, who now stared at me with a pained expression on his face.
From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks
A couple of posts later, Zach Witkoff added another message, a video recapping the “World Liberty Forum” held at Mar-a-Lago in February.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
“We still believe this will be the year of the IPO,” Blackstone President Jon Gray said on a video recapping the firm’s first-quarter results.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
As DA Davidson analyst Clark Wright says in his note recapping Phreesia’s fourth quarter earnings, “there are several moving pieces to the story.”
From Barron's ● Mar. 31, 2026
Morton’s “Minority Report” co-star Tom Cruise paid tribute to her during a clip recapping her storied career, but it was Morton’s speech that caught the audience’s attention.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2024
It was late that night when Katherine and Jimmy tucked the girls into their beds and collapsed onto their own bed, but they stayed up even later laughing and gossiping, recapping the family gathering.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
