reclaim

1
as in to regain
to get again in one's possession she reclaimed the championship title after losing it last year

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to rehabilitate
to make better in behavior or character a program to reclaim juvenile offenders by requiring them to do community service

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in to recycle
to obtain (a raw material) by separating it from a by-product or waste product after reclaiming the glycerin from used vegetable oil, you can use the oil to create a fuel that burns cleaner than regular gasoline

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb reclaim contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of reclaim are deliver, ransom, redeem, rescue, and save. While all these words mean "to set free from confinement or danger," reclaim suggests a bringing back to a former state or condition of someone or something abandoned or debased.

reclaimed long-abandoned farms

Where would deliver be a reasonable alternative to reclaim?

While the synonyms deliver and reclaim are close in meaning, deliver implies release usually of a person from confinement, temptation, slavery, or suffering.

delivered his people from bondage

When could ransom be used to replace reclaim?

The words ransom and reclaim can be used in similar contexts, but ransom specifically applies to buying out of captivity.

tried to ransom the kidnap victim

When is it sensible to use redeem instead of reclaim?

The meanings of redeem and reclaim largely overlap; however, redeem implies releasing from bondage or penalties by giving what is demanded or necessary.

job training designed to redeem school dropouts from chronic unemployment

In what contexts can rescue take the place of reclaim?

Although the words rescue and reclaim have much in common, rescue implies freeing from imminent danger by prompt or vigorous action.

rescued the crew of a sinking ship

When can save be used instead of reclaim?

While in some cases nearly identical to reclaim, save may replace any of the foregoing terms; it may further imply a preserving or maintaining for usefulness or continued existence.

an operation that saved my life

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of reclaim To truly be a force for good again and maintain global respect, America must reclaim its founding values—for everyone, not just its allies. Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 July 2025 This book invites readers to reclaim the Black radical imagination as a tool for world-building—reminding us that visionary art and collective dreaming are not just aesthetic acts, but revolutionary practices. Suzanne Cope july 3, Literary Hub, 3 July 2025 In many cases, states have reclaimed this power for themselves. Sarah Bush, Foreign Affairs, 3 July 2025 The urge to start over, strip it all back, and reclaim control. Sophie Meharenna, Allure, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for reclaim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reclaim
Verb
  • Trying to regain normalcy, Ukraine is back in the game.
    Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 1 July 2025
  • Make sure the tires reconnect with the road - During the skid, wait until the tires reconnect with the road and then gently straighten the wheels to regain control.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • More to come: Findlay Flats and Grant Park Nearly a dozen historic buildings across Vine and Elder Streets near the new community center will be rehabilitated into 45 mixed-income apartments.
    Sydney Franklin, The Enquirer, 3 July 2025
  • The chances of Combs’ image itself being significantly rehabilitated seems slim, given that violent, abusive behavior was caught on camera and aired to millions of people around the world.
    Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2025
Verb
  • Courtesy of Fairphone Fairphone says the new device is made with more than 50 percent fair and recycled materials, including cobalt sourced through the Fair Cobalt Alliance, fair gold, silver, and tungsten, and recycled aluminum and rare earth metals.
    Julian Chokkattu, Wired News, 28 June 2025
  • Yet much of the infrastructure from which these magnets would be recycled is also in China.
    Saleem H. Ali, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • Their run through the lesser lights of MLB has allowed the Dodgers to recapture the best record in baseball (54-32) – moving ahead of the Detroit Tigers, who were rained out Tuesday – and pull away in the NL West.
    Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 2 July 2025
  • Still, the chain isn’t firmly focused on collectibles, with management seeming intent on recapturing its meme stock mojo.
    Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • This promo from Caesars Sportsbook is easy to redeem.
    Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025
  • And once a company goes public, users can redeem their tokens for the market equivalent in a stablecoin.
    Tor Constantino, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
Verb
  • When the Red Sox visited the White House in May 2019, Puerto Rico was still recovering from the destruction of Hurricane Maria in 2017, and Cora wasn't satisfied with the federal government's response.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 12 July 2025
  • First responders recovered the body of a driver Saturday after their truck cab plunged off the Delaware Memorial Bridge a day earlier.
    ABC News, ABC News, 12 July 2025
Verb
  • According to the Sheriff’s Office, deputies arrived and safely retrieved the children after Rendon exited onto the back patio area.
    Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2025
  • Video showed Thomas, unsupervised, moving his handcuffed hands down the back of his pants, retrieving a small white object and sticking it in his mouth.
    Ashley Luthern, jsonline.com, 8 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Reclaim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reclaim. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.

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