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

Mr. Lipscomb, who had proved the telegenic potential of gambling, thought legalization of sports betting was coming and urged Mr. Silver to flip the NBA’s oppositional stance and reap “a multi-billion-dollar windfall.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

For scientists like Cohen, these molecules are an exciting area of research that could reap significant health breakthroughs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Britain’s BP reported a more than doubling of its profit on Tuesday as oil giants reap the rewards of soaring energy prices amid the war in Iran.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026

But that has fuelled concerns over overheating, and questions over when the eye-watering amounts ploughed into developing AI and building new data centres will reap returns.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

“Maybe it’s like Pastor Dames says—we have to keep sowing love and goodness in the world even when the world hates us. Remember? We reap what we sow.”

From "Betty Before X" by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renée Watson

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

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

The rich play the stock market and when it pays off, Sacramento reaps a hefty chunk.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2024

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

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

To have reaped the maximum benefit, an investor would have needed to keep their money in the market continuously during this entire stretch.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 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

Lawrence avoided pointing out to Sproul that he had planted the seeds of this competition himself, but plainly the harvest was already being reaped at Berkeley’s expense.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Durham ran through Derbyshire's lower order in the morning with Potts reaping the reward for full and accurate bowling delivered at pace.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

Like other chip makers, STMicroelectronics is reaping the benefits of hundreds of billions of dollars in spending commitments from some of the world’s largest tech groups to build out AI infrastructure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

However, some have been more cynical about big tech firms reaping billions in annual revenue putting up product prices.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

Ross trades roughly in line with peers Burlington and TJX, while reaping the benefits of improved inventory, stronger marketing, and refreshed stores.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

But there would still always be the reaping looming over us, over our children.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

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