clawback

1 of 2

noun

claw·​back ˈklȯ-ˌbak How to pronounce clawback (audio)
plural clawbacks
: the act or an instance of getting back money or benefits previously given out: such as
a
: the recovery of tax allowances by additional taxation
Next year sees the resumption of a 3% clawback that penalizes most upper-bracket taxpayers.William Baldwin
b
: the reclaiming of money or benefits under special circumstances stipulated in a contract
usually used before another noun
He suggested a clawback provision that would allow companies to demand the return of compensation tied to performance if it turned out that a company's stock performance was inflated by bad business practices or malfeasance.Loren Steffy
Criticism of the large bonuses awarded during federally funded bailouts spurred many banks to adopt clawback measures.Joann S. Lublin et al.

claw back

2 of 2

verb

clawed back; clawing back; claws back

transitive verb

1
: to get back (something) usually by strenuous effort or forceful means : regain
… the street is becoming a high-profile example of how Iraqi National Guard troops … can claw back territory from insurgents.Scott Peterson
Union activists have been knocking on members' doors, standing at the gates of steel mills and generally trying to claw back votes from 2016 …Trip Gabriel
2
: to recover (money or benefits) especially by putting into effect additional taxation or clawback provisions
If finance ministers do approve exceptional increases for farm spending, the extra will have to be clawed back in the next two years.The Economist
But unbeknownst to you, the drug actually cost only $7, and the pharmacy benefits manager claws back the extra $3.Sydney Lupkin

Examples of clawback in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Regulators show little interest in clawbacks of spiraling firms’ insider trades. Noah Barsky, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024 Athletes may disagree, fans may hate it, the media broadcasting the event may object, and advertisers may threaten clawbacks, but none of this matters. Arthur L. Caplan, STAT, 9 Aug. 2024
Verb
On Wednesday, state-run media reported the Syrian army had clawed back some territory in Hama and was planning a counterattack. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024 The move amounted to a vote of no-confidence from investors who had initially cheered Gelsinger’s turnaround plan, which included clawing back market share from chip design companies like Nvidia and semiconductor manufacturers like TSMC. Bygreg McKenna, Fortune, 2 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for clawback 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1962, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1852, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of clawback was in 1852

Dictionary Entries Near clawback

Cite this Entry

“Clawback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clawback. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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