claw back: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, often used in business, finance, politics, and journalism.
Quick answer
What does “claw back” mean?
To recover or regain something that was lost, given, or taken away, often through effort, legislation, or financial means.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To recover or regain something that was lost, given, or taken away, often through effort, legislation, or financial means.
To regain control, money, or advantage by careful or forceful action. Often implies a legal or procedural effort to recover funds or rights after they have been distributed or relinquished.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
More common in British English, especially in financial and political contexts (e.g., 'claw back tax credits'). American English uses it but may prefer alternatives like 'recoup' or 'recover'.
Connotations
Both varieties share the core meaning. In UK political discourse, it often describes government recovery of overpaid benefits or subsidies.
Frequency
Higher frequency in UK English corpus data.
Grammar
How to Use “claw back” in a Sentence
[Subject] claws back [Object] from [Source][Subject] claws [Object] backVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “claw back” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The Treasury will claw back the overpaid tax credits.
- They clawed back a ten-point deficit to win the match.
American English
- The IRS can claw back fraudulent refunds.
- The team clawed back in the fourth quarter.
adverb
British English
- The payments were recovered claw back (rare).
American English
- The funds were taken claw back (rare).
adjective
British English
- The claw-back provision was invoked.
- A claw-back mechanism is in place.
American English
- The contract includes a clawback clause.
- Clawback rules were enforced.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
The company aims to claw back market share from its competitors.
Academic
The study examines how democracies claw back powers from the executive branch.
Everyday
After the holiday spending, we're trying to claw back some savings.
Technical
The regulator can claw back excessive profits from utility companies.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “claw back”
- Using 'claw back' for simple receiving (e.g., 'I clawed back a letter' – incorrect). Forgetting it implies prior possession or entitlement. Spelling as one word ('clawback' is the noun form).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Claw back' is the verb phrase. 'Clawback' (one word) is the standard noun form (e.g., 'a tax clawback').
Yes, it can be used metaphorically for power, control, advantage, or reputation (e.g., 'claw back lost ground').
'Claw back' implies a more difficult, forceful, or formal recovery, often through systematic effort. 'Get back' is more general and informal.
Yes, it is a transitive phrasal verb. It takes a direct object, which can be placed between 'claw' and 'back' (e.g., 'claw it back').
To recover or regain something that was lost, given, or taken away, often through effort, legislation, or financial means.
Claw back is usually formal, often used in business, finance, politics, and journalism. in register.
Claw back: in British English it is pronounced /ˈklɔː ˌbæk/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈklɔ ˌbæk/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “claw back lost ground”
- “claw your way back”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a cat using its claws to pull back a toy that rolled away. You 'claw back' something you once had but lost.
Conceptual Metaphor
RECOVERY IS A PHYSICAL RETRIEVAL (using effort/tools to pull something back to oneself).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'claw back' most appropriately used?