recapture

1 of 2

noun

re·​cap·​ture (ˌ)rē-ˈkap-chər How to pronounce recapture (audio)
1
a
: the act of retaking
b
: an instance of being retaken
2
: the retaking of a prize or goods under international law
3
: a government seizure under law of earnings or profits beyond a fixed amount

recapture

2 of 2

verb

recaptured; recapturing; recaptures

transitive verb

1
a
: to capture again
b
: to experience again
by no effort of the imagination could she recapture the ecstasyEllen Glasgow
2
: to take (something, such as a portion of earnings or profits above a fixed amount) by law or through negotiations under law

Examples of recapture in a Sentence

Noun the recapture of the territory may take longer than expected Verb The guards recaptured the escaped prisoner. The soldiers recaptured the hill they had lost the day before. In the final lap of the race, he recaptured the lead. They are trying to recapture those happy times they had together. The documentary recaptures the social tensions of the 1960s.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Even Poland’s Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, no friend of Law and Justice, has raised doubts about the legality of the new government’s smash-and-grab style of reform and recapture. Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 31 Jan. 2024 She was still considered a fugitive, though, threatened with recapture, until Mr. Willis’s second wife bought her freedom from her owner’s son-in-law for $300 in 1852. Sam Roberts, New York Times, 28 July 2023 And unlike in Ukraine’s recapture of the port city of Kherson, where Moscow struggled to resupply and defend positions across the Dnieper River, Russian forces along the front line have no major obstacles at their back. Missy Ryan, Isabelle Khurshudyan and Michael Birnbaum, The Washington Post, Anchorage Daily News, 19 July 2023 But its recapture has not moved the lines around Bakhmut in any significant way since. Washington Post Staff, Washington Post, 4 Dec. 2023 While he was being held in the Calhoun County Jail in 2020 after his recapture, court records show, authorities say Hall attacked an officer and tried to choke him. Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 5 July 2023 Their decision to risk the wildfire was meant to avoid recapture at any cost. Matina Stevis-Gridneff, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2023 The amount [that taxpayers overpay] that goes over the set amount, known as recapture, spills over and goes to Austin. By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square Contributor, Washington Examiner, 15 July 2023 She was still considered a fugitive though, threatened with recapture, until Willis’ second wife bought her freedom from her owner’s son-in-law in 1852 for $300. Sam Roberts, BostonGlobe.com, 29 July 2023
Verb
His comments released in an interview on Saturday brought a swift response from Kyiv, which has seen tens of thousands killed and is seeking to recapture territory seized by Russia. Alexandra Banner, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 Nor is Christian Yelich likely to recapture his MVP form of 2019. Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 Opulent, a millionaire, cinema tries, with financial means that rival those of the petroleum industry and election campaigns, to recapture its spectators. Elizabeth Barber, Harper's Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 Michigan's primary represents a significant chance for Haley to recapture some momentum in the Republican race, where Trump has won every primary that he's been on the ballot for so far. Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 26 Feb. 2024 Grenada police said the escapees were recaptured the same day by the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force. Polo Sandoval, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024 Russia has recaptured Avdiivka, its biggest war gain in nine months. TIME, 24 Feb. 2024 In recent weeks, Russian forces have been attacking the flanks of this pocket and gradually recaptured small stretches of land, using what the Ukrainian military has described as small assault groups backed by armored vehicles. Constant Méheut, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024 The conflict could play out similarly to the United States’ experience in Afghanistan, where the Taliban patiently waited for two decades for the United States to withdraw and then quickly recaptured control of the country. Colin P. Clarke, Foreign Affairs, 5 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'recapture.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1752, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1799, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of recapture was in 1752

Dictionary Entries Near recapture

Cite this Entry

“Recapture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recapture. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

recapture

verb
re·​cap·​ture
(ˈ)rē-ˈkap-chər
1
: to capture again
recaptured the escaped prisoner
2
: to experience again
trying to recapture those happy times

Legal Definition

recapture

1 of 2 transitive verb
re·​cap·​ture
ˌrē-ˈkap-chər
recaptured; recapturing
1
: to capture again
2
: to recover or take (as an excess or gain) by law or agreement
especially : to recover (a tax benefit) by higher or additional taxation of income or property that ceases to qualify for a credit or deduction or by taxing gain realized from the sale or exchange of such property
the government recaptured the depreciation by taxing the gain resulting from the difference between the sale price and the basis after depreciation

recapture

2 of 2 noun
1
: the act or process of recapturing
2
: an amount recaptured or subject to recapture

More from Merriam-Webster on recapture

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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