repossess
verb
re·pos·sess
ˌrē-pə-ˈzes 
also -ˈses
repossessed; repossessing; repossesses
1
a
: to regain possession of
b
: to take possession of (something bought) from a buyer in default of the payment of installments due
2
: to restore to possession
Examples of repossess in a Sentence
The bank repossessed her truck.
if you don't pay off the loan, the bank will come and repossess your car
Recent Examples on the Web
A number of lenders who specialize in subprime car loans expect a growing percentage of their clients to default and have their car repossessed, said Pamela Foohey, a law professor at the University of Georgia and an expert in both auto finance and bankruptcies.
—
Matt Egan, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Although recovery ratios have fallen in recent years—potentially lowering the number of actual repossessions—it is projected that over three million cars could be repossessed in 2025, a level only reached in 2009 during the Great Recession.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
While these cars may be all consumers can afford, banks aren’t interested in repossessing them because the vehicle’s value is less than its repossession and sale.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
Penn complained, arguing the law prohibits repossessing a car with someone inside, and demanded $150,000 in compensation.
—Tony Schick, ProPublica, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for repossess
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Matt Egan, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Although recovery ratios have fallen in recent years—potentially lowering the number of actual repossessions—it is projected that over three million cars could be repossessed in 2025, a level only reached in 2009 during the Great Recession.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
While these cars may be all consumers can afford, banks aren’t interested in repossessing them because the vehicle’s value is less than its repossession and sale.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
Penn complained, arguing the law prohibits repossessing a car with someone inside, and demanded $150,000 in compensation.
—Tony Schick, ProPublica, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for repossess
Cite this Entry
“Repossess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repossess. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
repossess
transitive verb
re·pos·sess
ˌrē-pə-ˈzes
: to regain possession of
especially
: to take possession of again by judicial process or self-help upon default of the payment of installments due compare foreclose, seize sense 2
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