Word.ws English Dictionary

How to use reciprocate in a sentence

33 example sentences · verb

Reciprocate means to exchange two things, with both parties giving one thing and taking another thing. Example: “I gave them apples from my tree; they reciprocated with a pie and some apple jelly.”

Examples of reciprocate by meaning

verbTo exchange two things, with both parties giving one thing and taking another thing.

  • The USTR isn't reciprocating actual tariffs.2025 April 3, Felix Salmon, “How to read the White House's tariff formula”, in Axios

verbTo give something else in response (where the "thing" may also be abstract, a feeling or action) To make a reciprocal...

  • I gave them apples from my tree; they reciprocated with a pie and some apple jelly.
  • I simply couldn't accept such a gift without reciprocating.
  • Nugget will reciprocate with a Monstermon card!2019, Con Man Games, SmashGames, quoting Nugget, Kindergarten 2, SmashGames

verbTo move backwards and forwards, like a piston.

  • a reciprocating engine

More sentences with reciprocate

  • And worse, how do you make sure your kid does not reciprocate?2019 April 18, Genny Glassman, “Parent Torn After Discovering 5-Year-Old Neighbor 'Flashed' Kids & Told Them to Keep It a Secret”, in…. From the entry junk
  • While making small talk with the audience, Demi's greetings were reciprocated with loud screams from the Lovatics.2013, oan Kwek, “A Special Night with Demi Lovato”, in ArtJam, number 33, Nanyang Technological University Cultural Activities Club, page 31. From the entry Lovatic
  • If necessary, cut the old saddle in two using a reciprocating saw, then pry out the saddle.2008 September 1, Editors of Creative Publishing, Black & Decker The Complete Photo Guide to Home Repair: with 350 Projects and 2000…. From the entry saddle
  • 'And lang may yer lum reek on other folk's coal,' Jock reciprocated.2005, Peter Kerr, From Paella to Porridge: A Farewell to Mallorca and a Scottish Adventure, Chichester, West Sussex: Summersdale…. From the entry lang may yer lum reek
  • The reduction in process hot water load will have a greater impact on the reciprocating engine configuration.2003, Neil Petchers, Combined Heating, Cooling & Power Handbook: Technologies & Applications: An Integrated Approach to Energy Resource…. From the entry process hot water
  • There are two major types of bucky assemblies: reciprocating and recipromatic.2003, Stephen S. Hiss, Understanding Radiography, 4th edition, page 274. From the entry bucky
  • The beakiness of the spout reciprocates the beakiness of the bird.1985, Peter Dormer, Alison Britton, David Cripps, Alison Britton: a view, page 15. From the entry beakiness
  • If you expect to be called Doctor or Nurse so-and-so, reciprocate the respect by last-naming your patients.1983 September, Peter H[artley] Gott, “Forced Familiarity”, in Connecticut Medicine: The Journal of the Connecticut State Medical Society…. From the entry last-name
  • For one year now, I've been providing X-rated entertainment and you reciprocate with PG!1979, Blake Edwards, 10, spoken by Neighbor. From the entry pg
  • Built-up weights in the wheels balance the revolving and 50 per cent of the reciprocating weight.1951 June, “British Railways Standard Class "5" 4-6-0 Locomotives”, in Railway Magazine, page 400. From the entry built-up
  • To reciprocate I’ll just make a date with you right now for next year’s Reunion.1928, The University of Chicago Magazine, volume 21, page 548. From the entry reunitedly
  • “I’ve handed my credibility to a handful of journalists over there who’ve never reciprocated when times were tough.2025 February 27, Justin Baragona, “Bret Baier fires back at Chuck Todd for claiming he ‘now just wants to have a tee time with the…. From the entry namecall
  • Loving everyone else and trying to be the joy that binds them together, even if it isn’t always reciprocated.2021 December 13, Significant_Lynx_546, “I don't get the kids... this is absolutely win-win(-win)”, in reddit.com. From the entry Big Bird
  • People may experience two opposing motivations after receiving unexpected or counternormative favors: an obligation to reciprocate and psychological reactance.2004 September, Amani El-Alayli, Lawrence A Messé, “Reactions toward an unexpected or counternormative favor-giver: Does it matter if we…. From the entry counternormative
  • Hui are also free to offer Han prepared dishes of lamb and beef, but the Han cannot reciprocate.[2002, Dru C. Gladney, “Ethnoreligious Resurgence in a Northwestern Sufi Community”, in Susan D. Blum, Lionel M. Jensen, editors, China…. From the entry qingzhen
  • The bower aims his display straight at the dominant figure, who may reciprocate with a milder version of the same action.1977, Desmond Morris, Manwatching: A Field Guide to Human Behavior, page 144. From the entry bower
  • The young man has reciprocated by giving at least two hours each day to practice in the shot and discus.1929 July 4, Harry L. Borba, “The Superman of Track”, in The Vernon Daily Record, volume 4, number 209, Vernon, Texas, page 6. From the entry shot
  • Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Sunday met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul, reciprocating Yoon’s visit to Tokyo in March.2023 May 7, Michelle Ye Hee Lee, “Japanese prime minister visits Seoul, resuming ‘shuttle diplomacy’”, in The Washington Post, →ISSN…. From the entry Seoul
  • The latter are characteristically few in number, and they reciprocate government old-boyism and good-old-boyism with heart-warmineg liberal donations to conservative causes — electoral and otherwise.2014, Preston King, Socialism and the Common Good: New Fabian Essays, →ISBN, page 99. From the entry old-boyism
  • Britannica, somewhat representative of old media in general, instinctively regards Wikipedia as a threat, whereas Wikipedians are not the least bit tempted to reciprocate.2006 April 22, The Economist. From the entry Wikipedian
  • Reciprocating Melville’s interest in Japan, enthusiastic Japanese Melvilleans have ever pursued his works, through which they seek to understand the cultural background of Western civilization.2001, Arimichi Makino, “Melville among Japanese Melvilleans”, in Sanford E. Marovitz, A[thanasios] C. Christodoulou, editors, Melville…. From the entry Melvillean
  • As moldy drywall thudded to the curb in a depressing drumbeat throughout Breezy Point, Queens, Thomas Ryan’s reciprocating saw stood out like a growling declaration of impatience.2012 December 21, David M. Halbfinger, Charles V. Bagli, Sarah Maslin Nir, “On Ravaged Coastline, It’s Rebuild Deliberately vs. Rebuild…. From the entry drywall
  • Although, it is not a handshake I would readily reciprocate because my waking to such comprehension has been and is used for tormentuous affliction and mind control.2009, Alvin J. Moore, Visions of a Self-Named Prophet. From the entry tormentuous
  • The man was deeply shamed by the invitation since he could not possibly reciprocate, and he had to send the tusker itself as payment for the invitation gifts.1998, Alexander Moore, Cultural Anthropology: The Field Study of Human Beings, page 267. From the entry tusker
  • I thought it would be nice to have an elder to talk to, someone who could lay a little life wisdom on me as I reciprocated with granddaughterly attentions.1997 March 21, Bobbi Olson, “Forgotten Treasure: She sought a little wisdom. She found L.A.’s Auntie Mame.”, in Los Angeles Times, page E1. From the entry granddaughterly
  • The engine works at 35 r.p.m., and the reciprocating motion of the beam is converted into rotary motion by a cast-iron tee-section connecting rod and crank.1951 July, W. R. Watson, “An Edge Hill Beam Engine”, in Railway Magazine, page 490. From the entry tee-section
  • “Sertainly, yuh dam fool!” snorted Pharaoah; “that's why I'm reciprocating.” “Aw, apple-grease!” howled Rameses; “I know yer daughter pritty well, an' I klaim yew are retaliating!”1927, Albert J. Bromley, “Men Wot Histery Have Overlooked”, in Tha Return Uv Snowshoe Al, Minton, Balch, page 97. From the entry apple grease
  • The remaining timber can be cut with a thinbladed small reciprocating gangsaw into smooth skid lumber of uniform thickness with a minimum amount of waste in the form of sawdust.1959, Bulletin of the Wood Research Laboratory, numbers 36–60, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, page 30. From the entry thinbladed

Meaning of reciprocate

  1. verb To exchange two things, with both parties giving one thing and taking another thing.
  2. verb To give something else in response (where the "thing" may also be abstract, a feeling or action) To make a reciprocal gift.
  3. verb To move backwards and forwards, like a piston.

Full definition of reciprocate

Questions about reciprocate in a sentence

How do you use reciprocate in a sentence?
Reciprocate is used as a verb. For example: “I gave them apples from my tree; they reciprocated with a pie and some apple jelly.”
What is a short sentence with reciprocate?
“a reciprocating engine”
What does reciprocate mean?
Reciprocate means to exchange two things, with both parties giving one thing and taking another thing.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: reciprocate (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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