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
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
Drivers can also confirm if their specific vehicle is included in this recall and find more information using the NHTSA site and/or Kia’s recall lookup platform. ABC News, 10 July 2026 The company has received one report of a knob being activated by accidental contact, but no injuries have been reported, per the recall notice. Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for recall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recall
Verb
  • Earlier Thursday, Padilla also convened faith leaders and political figures in a roundtable discussion to defend voting rights and remember the legacy of civil rights hero John Lewis.
    Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026
  • The moments everyone remembers For many, the Centennial Olympic Games arrived at a pivotal time in life.
    Andrea Clement, AJC.com, 17 July 2026
Verb
  • With trips canceled and his shop in Ely low on traffic, his roughly 60 employees, many of them seasonal, are out of work.
    Kris Millgate, Outdoor Life, 16 July 2026
  • Some investors fear that if viewership is down, subscribers could cancel the service, which would negatively affect the platform’s growing advertising business.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026
Noun
  • To Washington’s recollection, Arraez would show up ready to work one morning in Scottsdale, then wouldn’t be available the next morning.
    Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 13 July 2026
  • Raphael has recreated the piece based, in part, on his recollections of seeing it over 40 years ago.
    Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 July 2026
Noun
  • Meanwhile, raging forest fires and a red-alert heat wave are shaking up France’s biggest national holiday, forcing the cancellation of traditional fireworks and firefighters’ balls.
    ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026
  • There were more than 10,000 delays and more than 1,200 cancellations on July 5, as many Americans traveled to celebrate Independence Day, according to FlightAware.
    Liz Knueven, CNBC, 14 July 2026
Verb
  • The boxing ring metaphor was largely abandoned once the competition began, even though there were more opportunities to mix baseball’s tradition of walkup music with fight sports’ swaggering walkouts.
    Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 14 July 2026
  • Critics of the deal hope that the lawsuit will force Paramount to abandon its merger dreams altogether, though that seems hard to imagine, and would leave WBD in a weak position.
    Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
Noun
  • In some diseases such as frontal lobe dementia, which damages executive function instead of memory, tangles can accumulate without the presence of amyloid.
    Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • Further inside, a fragment of a gate has a for-sale sign, candles, guayaberas and two colorful chairs — like memories from a grandfather’s house.
    Delia Rose Sauer, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
Noun
  • The judge’s ruling was tied to antitrust law, not the FCC ownership cap, so the agency’s repeal may have limited impact.
    Ted Johnson, Deadline, 15 July 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • Trump said early Friday said that the United States and Iran have agreed to continue peace talks, even though the ceasefire established by last month's preliminary deal has been scrapped.
    Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 11 July 2026
  • Jackson also called on her colleagues to scrap a test for gun regulations that that the court created in a landmark 2022 decision.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 11 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Recall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recall. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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