clawback
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Clawback refers specifically to the recovery of money that was previously paid or granted — it carries the sense of taking back something that was given. Recoup is broader: you recoup costs, losses, or investments (e.g., 'The studio hopes to recoup its production costs within two years'). Recover is the most general term and can apply to health, lost objects, or money alike. Reclaim emphasises the right to get something back ('She reclaimed her property after the court ruling'), while restitution implies restoring someone to their original position and often carries a legal or moral weight ('The museum agreed to pay restitution for the stolen artwork'). If a company takes back a bonus it already paid, that is a clawback; if it earns enough to cover its losses, that is recouping.
Common collocations
Prepositions
Etymology
From the phrasal verb 'claw back', combining claw (from Old English clawu, referring to the sharp curved nail of an animal) with back. The image is of an animal dragging something back with its claws, metaphorically extended to mean forcibly retrieving something. The financial sense emerged in the mid-20th century, first appearing in tax law contexts, and later broadened to corporate governance with the rise of bonus clawback provisions.
First known use
1962
1962, in the meaning defined above Verb