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
Still, Jones recalled that Hughes could often be a bit set in his ways. Stephanie Guerilus, People.com, 8 June 2025 Reports of wood inside Dinty Moore Beef Stew led to Hormel Foods recalling the product Wednesday. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 29 May 2025
Noun
The former district attorney staunchly defended her legacy Wednesday morning, almost seven months to the day after voters booted her from office in an unprecedented recall election. Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 4 June 2025 Target is conducting an additional recall for products that used cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers. Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for recall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recall
Verb
  • Sometimes the discomfort may seem overwhelming, but remember, this is where innovation thrives.
    Gabrielle Boko, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
  • Why Ana de Armas 'started crying' during flamethrower scene in 'John Wick' spinoff 'Ballerina' One day, Eve sees a baddie with an X brand on his wrist and remembers it from her father’s death.
    Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • All incoming and outgoing flights from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport have been canceled.
    Christina Wilkie,Anniek Bao,Riya Bhattacharjee, CNBC, 13 June 2025
  • Russia initially built for Egypt before Cairo canceled the contract would be delivered to Tehran instead.
    Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
Noun
  • Carter’s recollection of how much Dunne wanted to be on television, and how much John Dunne hated his brother’s fame once Dominick came back from failure and addiction to achieve fame as a writer, is fascinating.
    John Tamny, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
  • Indeed, when the Thirteenth Doctor meets the Fugitive Doctor for the first time, both are confused because neither has any recollection of the other.
    Richard Edwards, Space.com, 10 May 2025
Verb
  • The number of remote job postings has declined, but this shift shouldn’t be seen as a signal to abandon what many knowledge workers value most.
    Duane Tursi, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Based on the true story of Annie Silva Pais, daughter of Portugal’s secret police chief, who abandoned her life in 1965 to join the Cuban Revolution.
    Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 8 June 2025
Noun
  • Throughout the week, Sky players tried not to overstate the importance of the game — after all, their primary focus Saturday was erasing the memory of a season-opening blowout to the Fever in Indianapolis.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2025
  • Naomi had spent all of 2025 feuding with Jade Cargill in one of WWE’s best non-title women’s feuds in recent memory, even making her way into a rare WrestleMania women’s non-title bout.
    Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Noun
  • Newark Airport’s third runway reopened ahead of schedule Monday, increasing the capacity of the beleaguered transit hub amid staffing and technical concerns that have led to widespread cancellations and delays over the past several weeks.
    Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 2 June 2025
  • One time Plymouth actually sent its players to a match against Watford by train, but a cancellation meant that the trains were so crowded, the players had to sit on the floor.
    Steve Price, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • To save costs, modifications recommended for the Electra after the Hawaii crash—stronger radios, better direction-finding gear, upgrades to the emergency equipment—were scaled back or scrapped.
    Laurie Gwen Shapiro, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
  • That drop was scrapped, but the Air Force 1 Low is now slated to release in the fall.
    Ian Servantes for Footwear News, Robb Report, 1 June 2025
Verb
  • Why is the Antiquities Act controversial? U.S. states and Congress have previously argued to revoke or restrict the limits of the president's powers under the Antiquities Act, saying it was intended to be narrow in scope.
    Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 13 June 2025
  • McLaughlin said a green card was a privilege that should be revoked for people who support terrorist activity, an allegation the Trump admin has levied against Khalil without backing up.
    Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 13 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Recall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recall. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

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