RECALL Synonyms: 123 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

recall 1 of 2

verb

ri-ˈkȯl

Definition of recall

as in to remember

to bring back to mind I don't recall meeting you before

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to cancel

to put an end to (something planned or previously agreed to) I'll recall my purchase order if the company refuses to guarantee that it'll arrive before Christmas

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

recall

2 of 2

noun

ri-ˈkȯl

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

as in cancellation

the act of putting an end to something planned or previously agreed to we can't get a refund on the plane tickets, so the trip is beyond recall

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

But the star has cultivated a loyal collective of her favorite brands, including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Stella McCartney and Area (recall her famous Super Bowl jeans). — Morgan Evans, USA Today, 4 July 2026 In a 2001 interview with Q magazine, Ozzy recalled being heavily intoxicated during their nuptials. — Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026

Noun

In 2023, the NHTSA announced a recall of more than 2 million Tesla vehicles over concerns with the Autopilot feature. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 3 July 2026 The automaker this week added to its 2026 recall total by recalling 741,195 SUVs and F-150 pickup trucks that varied in age from the 2018 to 2021 model years. — Michael Wayland, CNBC, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for recall

Recent Examples of Synonyms for recall

Verb

Dodd remembers the lines he was asked to deliver were directed at the villainous mutant Sabretooth.

— Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
This episode, Zack wakes up and bolts upright with the bandage still on his head from getting clobbered with a sign on his birthday and can’t remember what happened the night before.

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 9 July 2026

Definition of remember

Verb

Moghal said she was contacted by StubHub and told her tickets would remain canceled, then was later told the tickets would be available one hour before the game.

— Lily Wright, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Last night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz abruptly canceled a public event to hold an emergency security meeting.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 9 July 2026

Definition of cancel

Noun

With the memoir now out in the world, LaPlaca’s recollection of the relationship is available for one and all to read — and Weber has a lot to say about it.

— Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 July 2026
Taken together, my trip recollections probably qualify me as living proof of Elliott’s traveler’s amnesia theory.

— Alex Pulaski, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Definition of recollection

Noun

Clean energy projects accounted for 93 percent of those project cancellations.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 7 July 2026
For 45 years, Marathon Weekend has been anchored to the first Sunday in October, but since extreme heat forced the cancellation of the marathon and 10-mile races in 2023, the marathon has been run under elevated Event Alert System readings.

— Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 7 July 2026

Definition of cancellation

Verb

In 1984, siblings Ramon, Ricard and Elvira were abandoned in a Barcelona train station with no luggage, no identification and no information about their family.

— Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
The government is somewhere in the middle – approving emergency AC units for hospitals while trying not to be seen as abandoning France’s insulation-first approach to heat.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 7 July 2026

Definition of abandon

Noun

Inspired by the Alps of northern Italy, each of the six scents captures a moment, place or object from founder Ermenegildo Zegna’s life, preserving memory through fragrance.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Plus, America is one of the host countries, and that means that a lot of the crowd are just locals like me, trying to create memories with their kids but not too deeply invested in supporting the players on the pitch.

— Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 7 July 2026

Definition of memory

Noun

The loss of those credits, combined with the administration’s repeal of tailpipe emissions rules, will significantly slow EV uptake in the US, Energy Innovation projects.

— Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
For defenders, a subsidy regime this complex is vulnerable not only to broad repeal, but to administrative friction.

— Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

Definition of repeal

Verb

Plans to pitch a replica of George Washington’s Revolutionary War field headquarters tent on the lawn outside Independence Hall were scrapped because of the extreme heat.

— Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 4 July 2026
Four bidders scrapped over the nearly eight-foot-high work, known as the Hamilton Laocoön, with a buyer new to the old masters market prevailing.

— News Desk, Artforum, 2 July 2026

Definition of scrap

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“Recall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recall. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of recall

verb

noun

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Synonyms of recall

verb

noun

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'Recollect' vs. 'Remember' vs. 'Recall'

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How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

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