Synonym Chooser

How is the word remember distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of remember are recall, recollect, remind, and reminisce. While all these words mean "to bring an image or idea from the past into the mind," remember implies a keeping in memory that may be effortless or unwilled.

remembers that day as though it were yesterday

When would recall be a good substitute for remember?

The synonyms recall and remember are sometimes interchangeable, but recall suggests an effort to bring back to mind and often to re-create in speech.

can't recall the words of the song

When can recollect be used instead of remember?

The words recollect and remember can be used in similar contexts, but recollect implies a bringing back to mind what is lost or scattered.

as near as I can recollect

When could remind be used to replace remember?

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

that reminds me of a story

In what contexts can reminisce take the place of remember?

While in some cases nearly identical to remember, 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 remember Later on, when the argument began, the mother could not recall what the fight was about, but did remember Ward charging toward her twice — the second time with a knife and stabbing her multiple times. Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 23 May 2025 More so than being good or evil, Oblivion remembers your actions and responds accordingly. PC Magazine, 22 May 2025 Tina Knowles remembers growing up in a loving and raucous family of nine. Sara Sidner, CNN Money, 11 May 2025 He is best remembered in art and literature, however, for his showdown with Attila the Hun, leader of one of the most powerful fighting forces of its age. Alison Hudson, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for remember
Recent Examples of Synonyms for remember
recall
Verb
  • Cain ripped a single into left field, a ball that, as then-general manager Dayton Moore recalled, hugged the line.
    Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 17 May 2025
  • Torres recalled how her slain sibling had been dating someone else before taking up with the new boyfriend — with Lisette’s life then falling to pieces over the course of a few spiraling months, according to her sister.
    Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 17 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Remember.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/remember. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on remember

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