reminisce

Definition of reminiscenext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word reminisce distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of reminisce are recall, recollect, remember, and remind. While all these words mean "to bring an image or idea from the past into the mind," reminisce implies a casual often nostalgic recalling of experiences long past and gone.

old college friends like to reminisce

In what contexts can recall take the place of reminisce?

The words recall and reminisce are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, recall suggests an effort to bring back to mind and often to re-create in speech.

can't recall the words of the song

Where would recollect be a reasonable alternative to reminisce?

The synonyms recollect and reminisce are sometimes interchangeable, but 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 reminisce?

While in some cases nearly identical to reminisce, remember implies a keeping in memory that may be effortless or unwilled.

remembers that day as though it were yesterday

When is remind a more appropriate choice than reminisce?

In some situations, the words remind and reminisce are roughly equivalent. However, remind suggests a jogging of one's memory by an association or similarity.

that reminds me of a story

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 reminisce And yet again, the opportunity gave fans a chance to reminisce on her 2005 days as the woman who proved an MMA name could star in Hollywood, too. Mark Puleo, New York Times, 17 May 2026 But Collins is not in Cannes simply to reminisce about the golden age of cinema. Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026 Tastee-Freez was where Middle American children were rewarded, budding adults savored their first morsels of independence, and old-timers gathered to reminisce. Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026 Current and former campers, educators and camp staff are invited to explore the camp and reminisce about their days at Walden West. Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reminisce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reminisce
Verb
  • Esquivel remembers one course assignment in particular.
    Kate Sequeira, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
  • And will privacy hold up when a device can see, hear and remember what happens around you?
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 8 June 2026
Verb
  • It’s all added up to a potential worst-case scenario for Republicans pondering the midterms.
    Bloomberg, Oc Register, 3 June 2026
  • Recently, that other long-running music magazine published a list of the 100 Greatest Punk Albums and their picks left me pondering the exact boundaries of punk (which, admittedly, is not a very punk thing to do).
    Brendan Hay, SPIN, 2 June 2026
Verb
  • In addition, the Urban Summit played a leading role in the special election to recall former Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr.
    Freddrell Green, Kansas City Star, 7 June 2026
  • The surprise show was unexpectedly emotional for the singer, who recalled arriving in New York as a young woman and asking the cab driver to drop her in the center of it all.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 6 June 2026
Verb
  • Shaboozey, who cites Pink Floyd’s surreal The Wall as one of his favorite albums and movies, had been ruminating on the idea for more than a decade.
    Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2026
  • But Yi has ruminated on these interconnections for more than two decades, making visible (and, sometimes, odorous) the systems around us that are microscopic, impermanent, or technologically abstract, often questioning our discomfort with them.
    Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • Through its characters, the book stages an argument about the virtues of various types of maps—those that are measured, those that are recollected, those that are dreamed.
    Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
  • Continually surrounded by well-wishers during an hour of socializing before a formal program of speakers and videos recollecting his career, Lubelfeld listened to what others had to say before speaking himself.
    Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • For those advocates, recent years have provided a rare chance to study life in the emerging canyonlands and to make their case to basin leaders who are contemplating the long-term future of Colorado River management.
    Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 7 June 2026
  • Mattingly joined the Phillies as their new bench coach this season after leaving the Toronto Blue Jays and contemplating retirement.
    Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Verb
  • This article was generated by the Bay Area Home Report Bot, software that analyzes home sales or other data and creates an article based on a template created by humans.
    Bay Area Home Report, Mercury News, 4 June 2026
  • The Lipoprotein Insulin Resistance (LP-IR) Test estimates the body’s response to insulin by analyzing patterns in blood fats and assigning a score from zero to 100.
    Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 4 June 2026
Verb
  • The food and travel personality explores the people, places and hidden stories behind iconic global destinations.
    Nathan Diller, USA Today, 7 June 2026
  • Award-winning food and travel writer Naomi Tomky explores the world with a hungry eye.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Reminisce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reminisce. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.

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