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 Sometimes one person went out of their way to remember Amy’s name and ask about her day. Jayme Fraser, USA Today, 16 June 2025 Yesterday's race in Montreal will not be remembered as one of the all-time great Canadian F1 races. ArsTechnica, 16 June 2025 Sometimes the discomfort may seem overwhelming, but remember, this is where innovation thrives. Gabrielle Boko, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025 Why Ana de Armas 'started crying' during flamethrower scene in 'John Wick' spinoff 'Ballerina' One day, Eve sees a baddie with an X brand on his wrist and remembers it from her father’s death. Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 4 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for remember
Recent Examples of Synonyms for remember
recall
Verb
  • Krueger recalls a client missing tax-free QSBS treatment by only six months due to the timing of an acquisition.
    Kristin McKenna, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
  • Loew was made the mark in a kind of confidence game, Schulberg recalls, with Thalberg and Mayer putting on a show of activity at the failing Louis B. Mayer Productions that nonetheless impressed the Hollywood innocent.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 9 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Remember.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/remember. Accessed 24 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on remember

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