Definition of recallnext
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
His niece Amy Ricci recalled telling her uncle that her daughter had eaten an entire box of communion wafers. Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Lisa Oberlander fondly recalls her time at Miami Killian Senior High in the 1980s. Austin Horn august 29, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
Noun
The recall is the latest in a series of recent incidents involving injectable medical solutions with potential particulate contamination. Victoria Forster, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Unless a smart toilet is synced with a smartwatch or ring, its AI relies on user recall of those inputs, which may be incomplete. Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for recall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recall
Verb
  • The service Warm and efficient, offering to show you around the historic corners of the hotel, remembering coffee orders at breakfast, and recommending dishes on the menu as if cooking supper in their own home.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Reading Ascherson’s finest essays today, so many of them on the big European personalities—de Gaulle, Brandt, Thatcher—is still invigorating, even for those of us too young to remember the fall of the Berlin Wall.
    Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Tennis has always been highly dependent on the weather; unlike in soccer or football, rain cancels or delays a match until the court is dry enough to be playable.
    Aaron Short, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Flights to vacation destinations were canceled, delayed or rerouted.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Marazzi and co-screenwriter Valia Santella ground their non-linear narrative by using the date of July 14, 1937 as a jumping-off point to move backwards and forwards in time through the recollections and point of view of the title character.
    Alissa Simon, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
  • SiriusXM launched a dedicated Dolly Parton Tribute Channel (105) built around her music and related artists and collaborators, augmented by listener recollections.
    Russ Penuell, Billboard, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • In the wake of the attacks, Strahan was one of the players who pushed for the cancellation of that weekend's football games out of respect for those lost.
    Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • But there’s also an active noise cancellation system that uses the new, very thin membrane speakers that JLR developed together with Warwick Audio that are mounted in the seat headrests.
    Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • First, Verbruggen baits Joao Pedro, who abandons Olivier Boscagli.
    Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Abandoning guidance in the middle of a crisis gets a pass that abandoning it on a clear day might not.
    Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • This includes memory rules and separation from information belonging to other agents, customers or organizations.
    Dr. Timothy J. Giardino, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • This is the same trip, the same memory, but a different chapter.
    Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Notably, the lawsuit also asks that the repeal be declared unlawful.
    Liam Reilly, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Is she entitled to additional spousal benefits because of the repeal of GPO?
    Elliot Raphaelson, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Three Saudi companies have scrapped plans for initial public offerings that were scheduled over the next month because of expectations of weak investor demand as the Iran war weighs on sentiment, according to people familiar with the matter.
    Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The Venice Film Festival is weighing scrapping its traditional opening jury press conference on the Lido.
    Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Recall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recall. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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