recall 1 of 2

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
Zoltan also recalls how, just prior to the crash, Mansfield had been sitting in the backseat of the car with her three children. Carita Rizzo, People.com, 17 May 2025 In February 2024, the company recalled its entire autonomous fleet after two of its cars collided with a backward-facing truck that was being towed. Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 16 May 2025
Noun
The government’s recalls were greeted with applause on Capitol Hill. Kayla Steinberg, NBC news, 15 May 2025 And the company will need to be able to supply these files to their customers—the automobile manufacturers—in the event of a part recall or other problem. Nick Burling, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for recall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recall
Verb
  • The best from Bordeaux 2024 will be remembered for lightness, delicacy and aromatic beauty.
    Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 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
Verb
  • But this sort of work would require close collaboration with Chinese researchers, at just the time when those collaborations are being scrutinized or canceled.
    Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 20 May 2025
  • Intisar proposed cancelling the hospital visit, fearing that they might be targeted for violence by the warring groups, each of which was led by Arabs.
    Nicolas Niarchos, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
Noun
  • The letters range from the prosaic to the profound: recollections of childhood softball games, news about David’s retirement, updates on their aging mother’s declining health.
    Serge F. Kovaleski, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
  • After this, consolidation eventually stabilizes memory traces and stores them for future recollection in the long term.
    Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 28 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • When Lollapalooza first announced that Olivia and Sabrina Carpenter were headlining this summer (along with Tyler, the Creator and Rüfüs Du Soul), with Abrams also in a top slot, there was the predictable gnashing of teeth that Lollapalooza is abandoning its precious rock heritage.
    Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2025
  • President mulls joining Russia-Ukraine peace talks, expects ceasefire With Russian forces now in control of close to a fifth of Ukraine, Putin has held fast to his longstanding demands for Kyiv to cede territory, abandon its NATO membership ambitions and become a neutral country.
    USA Today, USA Today, 17 May 2025
Noun
  • Outlawed in many regions due to the fire risk and environmental hazards, the idea of releasing thousands of them indiscriminately into the sky literally wouldn’t fly here in Southern California, where memories of the January wildfires are all too fresh.
    Edwin Goei, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025
  • Caitlin Clark’s superstardom is being felt at sportsbooks and fostering memories of legendary golfer Tiger Woods.
    Doug Kezirian, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • Maersk estimated Thursday that China-to-U.S. trade volumes had dropped in the range of 30 percent to 40 percent throughout April, following suit from a parallel 30-percent cancellation rated reported by Hapag-Lloyd.
    Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 9 May 2025
  • For Wolf Entertainment and Universal TV, reducing a premium that was not big to begin with was not economically feasible, so the status of On Call at Amazon went from a pending two-season renewal to cancellation within the span of weeks.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 9 May 2025
Verb
  • The decision to scrap the AI diffusion rule, on the other hand, is a helpful one in the short run — reflected by Nvidia’s 3% pop in the final hour of trading Wednesday.
    Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 8 May 2025
  • The Space Launch System (SLS) moon rocket and the Orion spacecraft, both in development in one form or another since 2006, and both intended for crewed travel to the moon, will be scrapped too.
    Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 6 May 2025
Verb
  • The Administration sought to revoke the immigration status of thousands of international students in April.
    Solcyré Burga, Time, 20 May 2025
  • But weeks into Trump’s second term, Noem revoked the TPS extension for a large group of Venezuelans, effective April 7.
    Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 19 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Recall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recall. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

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