reckon

verb

reck·on | \ ˈre-kən

reckoned; reckoning\ ˈre-kə-niŋ

, ˈrek-niŋ \

Definition of reckon

transitive verb

1a : count reckon the days till Christmas

b : estimate, compute reckon the height of a building

c : to determine by reference to a fixed basis the existence of the U.S. is reckoned from the Declaration of Independence

2 : to regard or think of as : consider

3 chiefly dialectal : think, suppose I reckon I've outlived my time— Ellen Glasgow

intransitive verb

1 : to settle accounts

2 : to make a calculation

3a : judge

b chiefly dialectal : suppose, think

4 : to accept something as certain : place reliance I reckon on your promise to help

reckon with

: to take into consideration

reckon without

: to fail to consider : ignore

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about reckon

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Examples of reckon in a Sentence

I reckon that we'll have to leave early. Do you reckon you'll be able to go to the grocery store after work? We'll have to leave early, I reckon. They reckoned that they would reach their destination by noon. Losses were reckoned to be over a million dollars.

Recent Examples on the Web

The tension between cynical-tinged hope and being trapped is fraught for Moses and Kitch and fertile for audiences aching to reckon with the American tango of liberation and subjugation. — Barbara Ellis, The Know, "Review: Curious Theatre’s “Pass Over” puts violence against young black men at center stage," 14 Sep. 2019 The back half of The Mountain tries to reckon with this proto-hippie style of thinking, with the kinetic Lavant dancing and screaming for his audience—a more direct form of proselytizing than Goldblum’s sinuous monologues. — David Sims, The Atlantic, "The Mountain Is a Strange and Alienating Satire," 28 July 2019 Instead of heading into a Friday night Big Ten home opener against No. 13 Penn State next week with a chance to plant their flag as a force to be reckoned with, the Terps will have to prove their fast start wasn’t a fluke. — C.j. Doon, baltimoresun.com, "College football overreaction index, Week 3: Same old Maryland?; ACC is at the bottom of the Power 5," 16 Sep. 2019 Daenerys Targaryen, Game of Thrones No, Daenerys didn't end up taking the throne, but the Mother of Dragons was still a force to be reckoned with. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "20 Best TV Show Costume Ideas for a Small Screen-Inspired Halloween," 23 July 2019 Even with a move up to 4A next season, the Dragons should still be a force to be reckoned with, but this group of seniors is something special. — Matthew Vantryon, Indianapolis Star, "Here's what I learned from the Indiana softball state finals," 10 June 2019 Over three days, several key points emerged: First, global capitalism is, slowly but very surely, starting to reckon with the economic risks posed by climate change and other environmental threats. — Eamon Barrett, Fortune, "What We Learned From The Fortune Global Sustainability Forum," 11 Sep. 2019 Yet the church has done little to reckon with its role in what investigators now say was years of his abuse. — Washington Post, "Ex-clergyman says US priest in Philippines a known pedophile," 10 Sep. 2019 Shares of L Brands, its parent company, have cratered since 2015; sales at stores have dropped; and the brand has been forced to reckon with shifting consumer tastes, executive turnover and new competition. — Sapna Maheshwari, New York Times, "Victoria’s Secret Had Troubles, Even Before Jeffrey Epstein," 6 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'reckon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.