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 How much time would automating these tasks free up to focus on creating the kind of content that people remember or that truly moves them? Nayaki Nayyar, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025 No wonder that Anita Lasker-Wallfisch still vividly remembers this day of destruction. Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2025 Of course, Parent Trap fans will remember the over-the-top handshake between the twin sisters Annie and Hallie (both played by Lindsay Lohan) and their butler Martin (Simon Kunz). Stephanie Wenger, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025 Dockery remembers Smith’s wit and sardonic humor on set—and her own Dowagerisms—fondly. Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for remember
Recent Examples of Synonyms for remember
recall
Verb
  • Thousands of multivitamin bottles sold on Amazon and other websites have been recalled over a risk of serious injury or death by poisoning.
    Joel Thayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
  • After a goalless draw with Sunderland on Saturday, the Crystal Palace manager recalled a conversation with chairman Steve Parish, who had told him that over the years, impatience with new signings has increased.
    Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Remember.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/remember. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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