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
For example, if a vehicle is repossessed after death and sold for less than the amount owed, the lender may seek the deficiency balance from the estate.
—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
Free college is a claim on knowledge no one can repossess.
—
Teresa Ghilarducci,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
If a lender in Maryland needs a car repossessed in Seattle and doesn’t know any agents there, a forwarder with a national repo database may manage the job, from assignment to resolution.
—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
The family only lived in the home for three years before it was repossessed and they were forced to move, staying in a handful of homes around the area until settling in a more permanent home in Memphis in 1948.
—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for repossess
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Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
Free college is a claim on knowledge no one can repossess.
—
Teresa Ghilarducci,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
If a lender in Maryland needs a car repossessed in Seattle and doesn’t know any agents there, a forwarder with a national repo database may manage the job, from assignment to resolution.
—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
The family only lived in the home for three years before it was repossessed and they were forced to move, staying in a handful of homes around the area until settling in a more permanent home in Memphis in 1948.
—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for repossess
Cite this Entry
“Repossess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repossess. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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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