reminisce

verb

Definition of reminiscenext
1
as in to remember

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to ponder

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Former colleagues Ted and Rick met up at a restaurant to drink their sorrows away — Rick, especially, hit the booze hard — and to reminisce about their client/friend. —Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 6 Apr. 2025 Green reminisced about how Acosta, a former teacher, would tell Green about a book to pique her interest in reading. —Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2025 In an interview with Rolling Stone, Kilmer’s Tombstone co-star Kurt Russell reminisced about their time on set together. —Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2025 Plenty of fellow millennials shared similar memories and reminisced about simpler times. —Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for reminisce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reminisce
  1. remember
  2. ponder
  3. recall
  4. ruminate
  5. recollect
  6. contemplate
  7. analyze
  8. explore
Verb
  • As someone who remembers when the first iPhone came out—but also came of age during the rise of Instagram—I’ve felt the impact of new platforms firsthand.
    — Catherine Goetze, Time, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Just remember to order a half-size up for the best possible fit.
    — Nina Derwin, Glamour, 17 Apr. 2025
Definition of remember
Verb
  • Fans took to the comments to both praise and ponder Trainor's new look.
    — Tracy Wright, Fox News, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Today, train stops are preserved with wooden shelters with picnic tables, encouraging hikers, bikers, and horseback riders to stop to ponder the trail’s rich railroad history.
    — Erin Gifford, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2025
Definition of ponder
Verb
  • Andor star Diego Luna recently recalled that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) director Gareth Edwards originally pitched him on the film by comparing his vision to Cuarón’s Y tu mamá también (2001), which starred a young Luna.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Others recalled being teased and taunted for not fitting the stereotype of what an audience for a band like Metallica is expected to look like.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of recall
Verb
  • For these individuals, the mind — either slowly or immediately — transitions from ruminating the past to engaging in activities that help rebuild their life.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Still ruminating on Luka Dončić’s return to Dallas, where Marcus Thompson II wrote that some things in the NBA are worth more than titles.
    — Chris Branch, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Definition of ruminate
Verb
  • Palmer and Hosie can recollect that previous era when Ferguson and McLean sent shockwaves through the country.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
  • The harsh band meeting – set up with Hoffs, Steele, managers and press agents – that cemented their demise is painstakingly recollected in the book as more of an ambush of the Petersons.
    — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2025
Definition of recollect
Verb
  • While contemplating his former love and his future as a father, Massey conjures up the apparition of his beloved Catherine.
    — Claire Franken, TVLine, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Boasberg has been contemplating whether to hold any administration officials in contempt of court for ignoring his orders last month to turn around planes that were carrying the deportees to El Salvador.
    — Alanna Durkin Richer, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of contemplate
Verb
  • Experts analyzed the ring, comparing it to similar objects from the Swedish History Museum in Stockholm.
    — Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
  • In the new study, researchers analyzed subsidiary burials, or the remains of people that were buried near or around a central burial.
    — Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of analyze
Verb
  • Their most recent work, Oltre Terra at Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum, explored wool consumption and human-animal relations.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 14 Apr. 2025
  • By staying informed and adaptable, banks can responsibly explore stablecoin applications, positioning themselves for longer-term relevance and success in an increasingly digital financial world.
    — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of explore

Browse Nearby Words

reminds
reminisce
reminisce (about)
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Cite this Entry

“Reminisce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reminisce. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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