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
Noun
Second, the support representative told me that market declines by themselves will not trigger a clawback. Rob Berger, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024 O'Malley said the agency terminates disability benefits for some people who don't contact the SSA after receiving a clawback letter. Fred Clasen-Kelly, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2024 The company must create a minimum 420 jobs by February 2031 to keep the full incentives, or face clawbacks. Detroit Free Press, 23 Jan. 2024 The governor is proposing several clawbacks of unspent funds to solve a budget deficit his office projects will reach $38 billion in 2024-25. Calmatters, Orange County Register, 18 Jan. 2024 The clawbacks have ballooned from about $9 million in 2010 to $12.6 billion in 2021, according to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, an agency created to advise Congress on the program for people who are 65 and older or have disabilities. Arthur Allen, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2023 Fines and clawbacks of city funding were among the options floated. Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024 Trending News Toyota recalls 1 million Toyota, Lexus vehicles over faulty air bag sensor Social Security clawbacks drive some Americans into homelessness Xfinity hack affects nearly 36 million customers. Alain Sherter, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2023 But the clawbacks have resulted in patients overpaying by hundreds of millions of dollars, Hoey said. Arthur Allen, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2023
Verb
Brendan Morrow Hugh Jackman has finally picked his Wolverine claws back up. USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024 In a bid to claw back $2.15 billion, the struggling pharmaceutical giant Bayer CEO is doing away with middle managers and 99% of the company’s 1,362-page corporate handbook, allowing nearly 100,000 employees to self-manage. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 11 Apr. 2024 The deal with Blue Flame Medical LLC was flagged as possible fraud and the state was forced to claw back its $457-million cash advance to the company. Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024 The second half opened with a 17-7 Washington run after Mike Brown’s team clawed back in the second quarter. Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 23 Mar. 2024 The proposal also clarifies that state programs should not claw back money victims receive from crowdfunding sources such as GoFundMe among other changes. Claudia Lauer The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 6 Feb. 2024 Peoria is looking to claw back nearly $139,000 in severance money from its previous city attorney as part of a lawsuit against her and former Mayor Cathy Carlat. Shawn Raymundo, The Arizona Republic, 3 Apr. 2024 No creditors have been reimbursed, in part because Ray is still trying to find all FTX’s assets and clawing back money that was paid out to Bankman-Fried’s associates, including his parents. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024 Thompson hit a pair of 3s, Gary Payton II tipped in a miss and Trayce Jackson-Davis rolled to the rim for a jam to claw back within three. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 24 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clawback.' 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

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 1 May. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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