recall 1 of 2

Definition of recallnext

recall

2 of 2

noun

1
as in recollection
a particular act or instance of recalling or the thing remembered his recall of the events of that turbulent time is significantly different from the accounts of other eyewitnesses

Synonyms & Similar Words

2

Synonym Chooser

How is the word recall distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of recall are recollect, remember, remind, and reminisce. While all these words mean "to bring an image or idea from the past into the mind," recall suggests an effort to bring back to mind and often to re-create in speech.

can't recall the words of the song

In what contexts can recollect take the place of recall?

The words recollect and recall are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, recollect implies a bringing back to mind what is lost or scattered.

as near as I can recollect

When can remember be used instead of recall?

The meanings of remember and recall largely overlap; however, remember implies a keeping in memory that may be effortless or unwilled.

remembers that day as though it were yesterday

When is it sensible to use remind instead of recall?

Although the words remind and recall have much in common, remind suggests a jogging of one's memory by an association or similarity.

that reminds me of a story

When could reminisce be used to replace recall?

While in some cases nearly identical to recall, reminisce implies a casual often nostalgic recalling of experiences long past and gone.

old college friends like to reminisce

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of recall
Verb
Rubin said, recalling the conversation. Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 13 June 2026 Here’s what’s been recalled and what’s known about each outbreak. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 13 June 2026
Noun
Waymo filed a voluntary software recall for its 3,871 vehicles over the matter on June 12. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 18 June 2026 The recall affects about 18,000 Hot + Cool Heating and Cooling Fans sold nationwide at TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Sierra stores. Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for recall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recall
Verb
  • Cape Verde’s defiance, and the heroics of 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha in particular, will be remembered for some time in Spain.
    Pol Ballús, New York Times, 16 June 2026
  • Chattanooga has come a long way since the neighborhood games McClure remembers.
    ABC News, ABC News, 15 June 2026
Verb
  • Madison Square Garden canceled its official Game 4 watch party amid a public dispute with city officials over security restrictions.
    Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
  • In a statement to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the event's producer Live Nation explained that the concert was canceled because Stewart had a recurrence of a sinus infection.
    Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 14 June 2026
Noun
  • In the documentary, Casey detailed her recollection of the day Caylee was last seen in June 2008.
    Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026
  • Testimony at the trial leaned heavily on the recollections of teenagers who described being shocked at the tragedy at a community sports event.
    ABC News, ABC News, 9 June 2026
Noun
  • There are 179 delays and 65 cancellations into or out of Love Field.
    Steven Rosenbaum, CBS News, 19 June 2026
  • Benefits include coverage for tire and windshield (from road hazards), key fob replacement, roadside assistance and 30-day cancellation policy.
    Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • One of Wood’s earliest conversations with Reid centered on abandoning the heeled footwear that helped define earlier versions of the character.
    Precious Fondren, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026
  • Jessie is thrilled, but her enthusiasm is crushingly fleeting, as Emily abandons Jessie with other items in a donation box on the side of the road.
    Barry Levitt, Time, 19 June 2026
Noun
  • The aesthetics of every World Cup are genuinely important to our collective memory of them.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 17 June 2026
  • Silicon Data said there are more than 50 different configurations of Nvidia’s H100 chip alone, with prices varying based on processors, memory, networking, utilization rates and data center location.
    Yun Li, CNBC, 16 June 2026
Noun
  • Thompson Willett founded it in 1936, three years after the repeal of Prohibition, on land his family had farmed for the better part of a century.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
  • But no one on the council suggested an immediate repeal.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2026
Verb
  • So the new Dietary Guidelines released in January have scrapped the previous recommendations with quantitative limits on drinking in favor of just advising that people drink less.
    Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 12 June 2026
  • Tamarac will scrap $75,000 travel budget (news article, May 13, 2022).
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Recall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recall. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.

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