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
Collins recalled that his five children were rushed to his side, thinking their dad was about to die. Jack Dunn, Variety, 2 Aug. 2026 Little Feat percussionist Sam Clayton, a Fallbrook resident, recalled in a 2019 San Diego Union-Tribune interview. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Aug. 2026
Noun
That’s why 529 Commerce issued a recall of Rooted In Rare brand Aquafaba Powder. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026 The auto industry is in the process of setting a new record for recalls, with over 23 million issued over the first six months of 2026. Jim Gorzelany, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for recall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recall
Verb
  • An emotional vigil was held in Garfield, New Jersey, on Thursday to remember two children who died after being swept into the Passaic River.
    Andrew Ramos, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • This is beautiful energy for repairing tension, making plans, or remembering that connection does not have to feel like a contest.
    Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Last year, Kennedy canceled 22 vaccine development projects that use mRNA technology.
    CBS News, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • And his agency has canceled millions of dollars in funding for mRNA vaccine research.
    Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 6 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Bailey’s early recollections of scent come from his grandparents.
    Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The most fateful night of my protagonist’s life—the night when her childhood best friend disappears on a black-sand beach—leaves her with a distorted recollection of what really happened.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Lawmakers have also approved some measures authorizing private investment into the tourism industry, which has been devastated by the departure of hotel giants in response to US sanctions and flight cancellations due to fuel shortages.
    Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The union representing flight attendants at Canada’s WestJet reached a tentative deal with the country’s second-largest carrier on Monday, ending a strike that led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights in the busy summer season.
    Reuters, NBC news, 3 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • To pull that off, Daunt abandoned an old business model whereby publishers gave Barnes & Noble a discount for carrying the same books at all its stores and positioning them in the same place for the same amount of time.
    Phil Wahba, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Like him, many other residents of the sizable tent community off Fish Hatchery Road have no plans to abandon their dwellings for a first-come, first-serve downtown shelter bed that may not be available the next night.
    Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 4 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The unexpected weekend getaway While planning ahead is crucial during the busy summer months, some of the best memories come from those spur-of-the-moment trips.
    Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • This is being enabled by newer architectures like compute-in-memory that will increase performance and reduce costs.
    Lee-Lean Shu, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • On election day, Golden State voters overwhelmingly backed the repeal.
    Paxton Honerkamp, CNBC, 1 Aug. 2026
  • North Carolina has exempted ambulatory surgery centers in larger counties and continues to debate broader repeal.
    Richard Menger MD MPA, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • Now, even after scrapping his divisive investment project, his support remains unclear at best.
    Graham Dunbar, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Infantino was forced to scrap the plan early Saturday after his senior adviser who sat on a White House panel resigned and Asia’s soccer body joined Europe and North America in opposing it.
    ABC News, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Recall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recall. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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