recall 1 of 2

Definition of recallnext

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

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
Avila, 24, was recalled from Triple-A Omaha on Friday. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2026 Fifteen-year-old Melba Pattillo Beals recalled having acid thrown at her eyes. Daniel Felsenthal, Pitchfork, 4 Apr. 2026
Noun
Another major eye drops recall in 2023 involved a different manufacturer whose products may have contained bacteria. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026 For super-readers, the value of a book isn’t measured by recall, but by engagement. Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for recall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recall
Verb
  • Senator Jacky Rosen, a Democrat from Nevada, asked the room to remember the Second World War and why it had been fought.
    Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Technically Depeche Mode and Tool headlined Coachella in 2006, but neither of those is the act everyone remembers from that year.
    Vanessa Franko, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Now that Sacramento County’s fiscal adviser has canceled the Sacramento City Unified School District board’s contract with a consulting firm, the district faces its budget crisis with fewer options and a ticking clock.
    Scott Lebar. Story produced with AI assistance, Sacbee.com, 5 Apr. 2026
  • At a time when festivals like Sol Blume, Goldensky and Breakaway have been cancelled or postponed, citing costs or unforeseen circumstances, Channel 24 credits the Sacramento community as the key to their success.
    Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Body Mists Instead of staying stranded in nostalgic recollections of your middle school gym bag, body mists have actually grown up right alongside us.
    Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2026
  • All the hiccups now blend together in his recollections.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Lori listens in dumbfounded silence, keeping her eyes on the prize, and trying not to roll them when Julian makes a comment about the dearth of great women artists—the kind of remark that earned him a close brush with cancellation in the past.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Others experience frustration with cancellations.
    Rebecca Strong, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Administrator Crystal Ruth switches on dozens of heat lamps that radiate a yellow hue to warm at least 80 disabled, abandoned or formerly abused animals that call the rescue home.
    Julian Camejo, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
  • It sat abandoned until 1969, when a group of Native American activists occupied the island and remained there for the next two years, according to NPS.
    Noe Padilla, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • According to Counterpoint's Hwang, commodity memory prices are projected to continue surging by more than 50% in the second quarter, with supply-tightness unlikely to ease soon.
    Dylan Butts, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2026
  • This April, readers have plenty of new books to look forward to, including a metafictional exploration of memory, a look at the effects of family vlogging and a mysterious depiction of gentrification in Brooklyn.
    Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 7 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • This is not a marginal activity but a consolidated and expanding sector that has operated under a legal framework since the repeal of PASPA in 2018, and whose sustainability depends largely on the visibility of legal operators.
    Cláudia Nunes, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
  • After consecutive years of other legislation that sought an outright repeal of the Medicaid expansion over rising expense to taxpayers, the work requirements bill was branded a compromise to rein in costs.
    Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • When money is guaranteed for injury, he is entitled to that money if his contract is scrapped as a result of a physical issue sustained while performing contractual services.
    Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Still buzzing from the early goal, Flyers fans erupted only moments later when Travis Konecny and Boston's Charlie McAvoy briefly scrapped near the net.
    CBS News, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Recall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recall. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on recall

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster