as in to repay
to make a return payment to make sure you keep your receipts so we can reimburse you for your expenses

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How is the word reimburse distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of reimburse are compensate, indemnify, pay, recompense, remunerate, repay, and satisfy. While all these words mean "to give money or its equivalent in return for something," reimburse implies a return of money that has been spent for another's benefit.

reimbursed employees for expenses

When is compensate a more appropriate choice than reimburse?

Although the words compensate and reimburse have much in common, compensate implies a making up for services rendered.

an attorney well compensated for her services

When would indemnify be a good substitute for reimburse?

The synonyms indemnify and reimburse are sometimes interchangeable, but indemnify implies making good a loss suffered through accident, disaster, warfare.

indemnified the families of the dead miners

When might pay be a better fit than reimburse?

The meanings of pay and reimburse largely overlap; however, pay implies the discharge of an obligation incurred.

paid their bills

When is it sensible to use recompense instead of reimburse?

While the synonyms recompense and reimburse are close in meaning, recompense suggests due return in amends, friendly repayment, or reward.

passengers were recompensed for the delay

When can remunerate be used instead of reimburse?

The words remunerate and reimburse can be used in similar contexts, but remunerate clearly suggests paying for services rendered and may extend to payment that is generous or not contracted for.

promised to remunerate the searchers handsomely

When could repay be used to replace reimburse?

The words repay and reimburse are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, repay stresses paying back an equivalent in kind or amount.

repay a favor with a favor

Where would satisfy be a reasonable alternative to reimburse?

In some situations, the words satisfy and reimburse are roughly equivalent. However, satisfy implies paying a person what is required by law.

all creditors will be satisfied in full

Examples of reimburse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The program only ended up reimbursing 20 percent of Camille’s victims. Justin McBrien / Made By History, TIME, 9 Oct. 2024 The per-vehicle MCCA fee goes toward reimbursing auto insurers once an accident victim's bills exceed a set amount, currently $635,000. Jc Reindl, Detroit Free Press, 9 Oct. 2024 By the time people realized their account had been debited, reflecting the FBAR penalty, the IRS had already collected the funds, and the bank had already been fully reimbursed. Robert Goulder, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024 County Clerk Ashley Reichart said that if a municipality already has this video surveillance, it can get reimbursed for some of its costs. Cathy Kozlowicz, Journal Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for reimburse 

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

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Cite this Entry

“Reimburse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reimburse. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on reimburse

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