re·cov·er
ri-ˈkə-vər 
recovered; recovering
ri-ˈkə-və-riŋ
-ˈkəv-riŋ
1
: to get back : regain
2
a
: to bring back to normal position or condition
stumbled, then recovered himself
b
archaic
: rescue
3
a
: to make up for
recover increased costs through higher prices
b
: to gain by legal process
4
archaic
: reach
5
: to find or identify again
recover a comet
6
a
: to obtain from an ore, a waste product, or a by-product
b
: to save from loss and restore to usefulness : reclaim
1
: to regain a normal position or condition (as of health)
recovering from a cold
2
: to obtain a final legal judgment in one's favor
Synonyms
Examples of recover in a Sentence
Verb (1)
She had a heart attack but is recovering well.
Share prices will be down until the economy recovers.
She recovered consciousness in the hospital.
I slipped, but somehow recovered my balance.
He suffered a stroke and hasn't yet recovered the use of his left arm.
The police recovered his stolen wallet.
The program helps users recover computer files that have been deleted.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 6 May 2024
Crews with the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner assisted in recovering both the bodies.
—Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 6 May 2024
Results will help refuge workers learn how to better conserve and recover the endangered species, according to the Wildlife Services.
—Judith Prieve, The Mercury News, 5 May 2024
Wisconsin homebuilding still hasn't recovered from Great Recession Before the Great Recession, Wisconsin's home construction industry was ablaze.
—Genevieve Redsten, Journal Sentinel, 3 May 2024
An additional five police officers were injured but are expected to recover.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 3 May 2024
While most people recover within a week, five to 10 percent develop HUS.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 3 May 2024
In a world where we’re encouraged to know and express our boundaries, Donny sets few, enjoying how Martha massages his recovering ego.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 3 May 2024
Jenifer Lewis spent a year recovering from a devastating 10-foot fall while on safari in Tanzania.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 25 Apr. 2024
Nancy Baggett, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
Remove salmon from the refrigerator and turn pieces so all sides are immersed in the rub; re-cover and place container back in the refrigerator for at least 14 hours or up to 3 days.
—Kimberly Winter Stern, Kansas City Star, 24 Jan. 2024
Stir and cook some more: Stir everything together really well, then re-cover the slow cooker, and cook on LOW for another 4 hours, or until the apples are extremely soft.
—Pam Lolley, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2023
Broken legs were replaced by bricks or buckets and seats re-covered with fabric and string.
—Daron James, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2023
Martin also re-covered the walls of such Milan Fashion Week meccas as Apophis Club, Vasiliki Kouzina, and Trattoria Torre di Pisa.
—Ingrid Abramovitch, ELLE Decor, 19 Apr. 2023
Most designers would insist on re-covering the piece entirely, but Ridder isn’t interested in perfection.
—Robert Rufino, ELLE Decor, 27 Mar. 2023
Two armchairs the client already owned were re-covered by South Harlow Interiors in Arctic Oyster linen fabric by Otis Textiles.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2023
For an easy update, re-cover your furniture with a new fabric and trim.
—Rachel Silva, ELLE Decor, 10 Mar. 2023
Verb
Al Roker's dog is recovering after undergoing an emergency procedure over the weekend.
—Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 6 May 2024
Crews with the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner assisted in recovering both the bodies.
—Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 6 May 2024
Results will help refuge workers learn how to better conserve and recover the endangered species, according to the Wildlife Services.
—Judith Prieve, The Mercury News, 5 May 2024
Wisconsin homebuilding still hasn't recovered from Great Recession Before the Great Recession, Wisconsin's home construction industry was ablaze.
—Genevieve Redsten, Journal Sentinel, 3 May 2024
An additional five police officers were injured but are expected to recover.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 3 May 2024
While most people recover within a week, five to 10 percent develop HUS.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 3 May 2024
In a world where we’re encouraged to know and express our boundaries, Donny sets few, enjoying how Martha massages his recovering ego.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 3 May 2024
Jenifer Lewis spent a year recovering from a devastating 10-foot fall while on safari in Tanzania.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 25 Apr. 2024
Verb
Microwave on high 2 for minutes, then turn over the bacon; re-cover with the paper towels.
—Nancy Baggett, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
Remove salmon from the refrigerator and turn pieces so all sides are immersed in the rub; re-cover and place container back in the refrigerator for at least 14 hours or up to 3 days.
—Kimberly Winter Stern, Kansas City Star, 24 Jan. 2024
Stir and cook some more: Stir everything together really well, then re-cover the slow cooker, and cook on LOW for another 4 hours, or until the apples are extremely soft.
—Pam Lolley, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2023
Broken legs were replaced by bricks or buckets and seats re-covered with fabric and string.
—Daron James, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2023
Martin also re-covered the walls of such Milan Fashion Week meccas as Apophis Club, Vasiliki Kouzina, and Trattoria Torre di Pisa.
—Ingrid Abramovitch, ELLE Decor, 19 Apr. 2023
Most designers would insist on re-covering the piece entirely, but Ridder isn’t interested in perfection.
—Robert Rufino, ELLE Decor, 27 Mar. 2023
Two armchairs the client already owned were re-covered by South Harlow Interiors in Arctic Oyster linen fabric by Otis Textiles.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2023
For an easy update, re-cover your furniture with a new fabric and trim.
—Rachel Silva, ELLE Decor, 10 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'recover.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near recover
Cite this Entry
“Recover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recover. Accessed 9 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
recover
1 of 2 verb
re·cov·er
ri-ˈkəv-ər
recovered; recovering
-ˈkəv-(ə-)riŋ
1
: regain sense 1
recover a lost wallet
recovered my breath
2
: to regain or bring back to normal health, self-confidence, or position
stumbled, then recovered myself
recovered from the flu
3
: to make up for
recover lost time
4
: to obtain something useful by separating it from a source (as ore or waste) : reclaim
recover gold from gravel
re-cover
2 of 2 verb
re-cov·er
(ˈ)rē-ˈkəv-ər
: to cover again
Medical Definition
recover
intransitive verb
re·cov·er
ri-ˈkəv-ər
recovered; recovering
-(ə-)riŋ
: to regain a normal position or condition (as of health)
recovering from the effects of a cold
Legal Definition
recover
transitive verb
re·cov·er
ri-ˈkə-vər
1
: to get back or get back an equivalent for
recover costs through higher prices
2
a
: to obtain or get back (as damages, satisfaction for a debt, or property) through a judgment or decree
recover damages in a tort action
b
: to obtain (a judgment) in one's favor
1
: to get something back
2
: to obtain damages or something else through a judgment
argued that the plaintiff should not be permitted to recover
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share