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

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
Tiffany Valdez still vividly recalls hearing what sounded like gunfire before learning her beloved brother had been killed. Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026 Long before becoming an actress, Mazar used to operate the elevator in the multi-level venue, Madonna recalled. Dade Hayes, Deadline, 6 June 2026
Noun
The recall was also partially inspired by residents’ recent success in voting out two of the five councilmembers who voted for the data center financing package. Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026 Better to have no recall powers than overly lenient ones. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for recall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recall
Verb
  • Esquivel remembers one course assignment in particular.
    Kate Sequeira, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
  • And will privacy hold up when a device can see, hear and remember what happens around you?
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 8 June 2026
Verb
  • The international airport in General Santos was temporarily shut due to the earthquake, and 17 domestic flights were canceled, civil aviation officials said.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
  • The county civil grand jury concluded the school board canceled the contract based on a misrepresentation of the facts, failed to act in students’ best interest, disparaged the school community and took actions that were supposed to be handled by district staff.
    Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2026
Noun
  • As condolences and recollections pour in, the common thread — one that matched my own experiences when living in Doha — was that beneath Al Attiyah’s encyclopedic knowledge of the region’s history and mastery of energy politics, his humility and warmth was what drew people in.
    Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 28 May 2026
  • After decapitating the body, Kennedy tied the head to the top of the family's minivan with a bungee cord, making for a less-than-pleasant five-hour drive back home to Mount Kisco, New York, according to her recollection.
    Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 26 May 2026
Noun
  • José Palma, national coordinator of the National TPS Alliance — an advocacy group that has fought in federal courts against the cancellation of TPS for several countries—welcomed the extension of protections for the Lebanese.
    Gisela Salomon, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
  • Their effort prompted a 7 1/2-month strike that forced the cancellation of the World Series for the first time in 90 years.
    Ronald Blum, Fortune, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • Kuna fires out, abandoned home burns Smoke poured out of two fires in Kuna on Thursday, said James Trumble, the Kuna Rural Fire District’s assistant chief.
    Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 29 May 2026
  • And then there’s the fact that in the season finale’s final minutes, set in 2020, the Soviet spaceship MAPC-94, abandoned in space after its engines failed decades ago, turns itself on.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • While a few of the old hunters were wistful about the memory of the large mammals, others saw extirpation as necessary progress.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
  • One city worker, Tyrone Jue, reflected on personal memories tied to the space.
    Maddie White, CBS News, 10 June 2026
Noun
  • Four others were indicted in the scheme, one sentenced to five years for helping thwart the repeal, one who died by suicide after pleading not guilty and two who await sentencing while cooperating in the investigation.
    CBS News, CBS News, 7 June 2026
  • Four others were indicted in the scheme, one sentenced to five years for helping thwart the repeal, one who died by suicide after pleading not guilty and two who await sentencing while cooperating in the investigation.
    ABC News, ABC News, 4 June 2026
Verb
  • Goldman Sachs economists on Friday scrapped their forecast for a Fed interest-rate cut in December 2026 based on the stronger-than-expected US labor market.
    Tony Czuczka, Fortune, 7 June 2026
  • The 2025 festival, planned for late July at Oakwood Beach, was scrapped in May, with the cancellation attributed to concerns over artist travel and visas amid crackdowns by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Chicago in the weeks leading up to Operation Midway Blitz.
    Doug George, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Recall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recall. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.

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