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 Family and friends gathered to mourn Rebekah Baptiste, 10, a young girl remembered for her kindness and tenacity. Wren Smetana, AZCentral.com, 15 Aug. 2025 Sonora remembers nervously cleaning the house while her mother locked herself in her bedroom, refusing to even come out and talk to the police. Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 4 Aug. 2025 The movements up and down are evidence of neither inflation nor deflation when it’s remembered that a rising price signals fewer dollars for other purchases, and a falling price signals more. John Tamny, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2025 At 61, Dawn Downs, a retired hospital cafeteria worker who has lived in Traverse City for 40 years, can distinctly remember the fallout from the 1989 closure of the state mental health hospital here. John Wisely, Freep.com, 3 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for remember
Recent Examples of Synonyms for remember
recall
Verb
  • Sometimes there’s been a long gap since the last session, and the actor must recall the emotional tone from the previous performance.
    Nick Newman, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2025
  • While recently appearing on SiriusXM’s Jeff Lewis Live, the 39-year-old That’s So Raven star recalled her ex-boyfriend not only getting another woman pregnant during their relationship, but audaciously asking her to be the baby’s Godmother.
    Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 7 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Remember.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/remember. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

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