were not recovered

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "were not recovered" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts where something that was lost or missing has not been found or retrieved. Example: "The stolen items were not recovered by the police during their investigation."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

The bodies were not recovered until the next day.

The New York Times

But, he said, they were not recovered from Mr. Opalka's neighborhood.

The New York Times

Expert witnesses said the injuries appeared to be from a hammer and knife, which were not recovered.

The New York Times

Whether that was what kept its brood from being born was never clear: those eggs were not recovered.

The Guardian - Books

Their bodies were not recovered until Sunday morning, with the assistance of park rangers and a California highway patrol helicopter.

The Guardian

According to the online posting, there are no available dental records and no finger prints: the report states that her "hands were not recovered".

The New York Times

Across the road, the Bayeux Memorial bears the names of over 1,800 other British Commonwealth troops whose bodies were not recovered.

Independent

The claim put the value of the lost books at $43,000 and estimated the value of furnishings that were not recovered at $4,000.

The New York Times

Methanococci and Methanopyri, typically thriving in very hot environments, and anaerobic methane oxidizers were not recovered.

Energy, Sustainability and Society

The question marks denote missing pixels that were not recovered using the Shift-Add fusion technique.

EURASIP Journal on Image and Video Processing

They were earlier reported dead but their bodies were not recovered with the others who died.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "were not recovered", ensure the context clearly indicates what was lost or missing and the circumstances surrounding its disappearance or failure to be found.

Common error

Avoid using "were not recovered" in a way that obscures who was responsible for attempting the recovery. Clarity is key to effective communication.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "were not recovered" functions as a passive construction of the verb "recover". It indicates that an action (recovery) was not successfully completed. Ludwig's examples show it used in contexts ranging from missing bodies to unretrieved data.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

44%

News & Media

42%

Wiki

7%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "were not recovered" serves as a clear and concise way to express that something has not been retrieved or found, suitable for both formal and neutral registers. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and provides numerous examples of its usage across diverse domains, especially in news and scientific contexts. When writing, ensure the context clarifies what wasn't recovered. If the sentence structure allows, try to specify who failed to recover the item. If suitable, use simpler alternatives such as "were not found" or "remained missing".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

were not found

Focuses on the absence of discovery rather than the action of recovering.

were not retrieved

Emphasizes the lack of retrieval, often suggesting a deliberate attempt to find something.

remained missing

Highlights the continued state of being lost or absent.

could not be located

Emphasizes the inability to pinpoint the whereabouts of something.

were unable to be salvaged

Suggests an attempt to rescue something that failed.

were never regained

Focuses on a permanent loss or inability to get something back.

were lost

A simple and direct way to state that something is no longer present.

have not been salvaged

Places emphasis on effort that was performed to try to save something.

are still unaccounted for

Highlights the incomplete accounting or tracking of items or people.

did not resurface

Suggests a disappearance followed by a failure to reappear.

FAQs

How can I use "were not recovered" in a sentence?

Use "were not recovered" to indicate that something that was lost or missing has not been found or retrieved. For example: "The stolen items "were not recovered" by the police during their investigation."

What are some alternatives to "were not recovered"?

You can use alternatives like "were not found", "remained missing", or "could not be located" depending on the specific context.

Is it better to say "were not recovered" or "were not retrieved"?

Both "were not recovered" and "were not retrieved" are grammatically correct. "Were not recovered" might suggest a broader sense of loss, while "were not retrieved" implies a more specific act of seeking and failing to find something.

What does it mean when something "were not recovered"?

When something ""were not recovered"", it means that after being lost, stolen, or misplaced, it has not been found or returned to its rightful place. The term implies a failure to retrieve something that was missing.