Synonym Chooser

How is the word remember distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of remember are recall, recollect, remind, and reminisce. While all these words mean "to bring an image or idea from the past into the mind," remember implies a keeping in memory that may be effortless or unwilled.

remembers that day as though it were yesterday

When would recall be a good substitute for remember?

The synonyms recall and remember are sometimes interchangeable, but recall suggests an effort to bring back to mind and often to re-create in speech.

can't recall the words of the song

When can recollect be used instead of remember?

The words recollect and remember can be used in similar contexts, but recollect implies a bringing back to mind what is lost or scattered.

as near as I can recollect

When could remind be used to replace remember?

Although the words remind and remember have much in common, remind suggests a jogging of one's memory by an association or similarity.

that reminds me of a story

In what contexts can reminisce take the place of remember?

While in some cases nearly identical to remember, 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 remember More than ninety years after its release, Freaks is remembered as a Pre-Code Hollywood cult classic and an uncommon artistic feat (it was added to the National Film Registry in 1994). JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025 The day Affleck came in, Smith remembers, news broke that Affleck and Matt Damon had sold their script for Good Will Hunting for $800,000. Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025 DeAndre Jordan will be remembered as a Lob City Clipper, but Denver will always be a second home to him. Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 29 Oct. 2025 Both products are formulated for daily use in the morning and evening, but just remember to pack on the SPF in your morning routine, as AHAs can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight. Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 29 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for remember
Recent Examples of Synonyms for remember
recall
Verb
  • In a 2017 oral history of the notorious scene, One Tree Hill creator Mark Schwahn recalled that the origins of the scene lay in the idea of cultivating some sympathy for the villainous Dan.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Clarkson recalled that former boyfriend musician Graham Colton introduced her to Griffin’s music.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 10 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Remember.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/remember. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on remember

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