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 Lynch’s tuxedo is understated, his bow tie nothing to remember. Dave Schilling, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2025 Their daughter Haley was only 7 at the time, but remembers her mother fondly. Sean Keane, ABC News, 28 Feb. 2025 That workload projection may not impress Padres fans who remember Randy Jones soaking up 315 innings in 1976 or Kevin Brown throwing almost 300 innings across the 1998 season and postseason. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025 What’s important to remember is just how much evidence exists indicating that buprenorphine can help people with opioid addiction. Moises Velasquez-Manoff Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Zak Mouton, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for remember

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Cite this Entry

“Remember.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/remember. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on remember

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