recalled; recalling; recalls
2
a
: to call back
was recalled to active duty
a pitcher recalled from the minors
b
: to bring back to mind
recalled seeing her somewhere before
c
: to remind one of : resemble
a playwright who recalls the Elizabethan dramatists
1
: a call to return
a recall of workers after a layoff
2
: the right or procedure by which an official may be removed by vote of the people
3
: remembrance of what has been learned or experienced
4
: the act of revoking
5
: a public call by a manufacturer for the return of a product that may be defective or contaminated
Synonyms
Examples of recall in a Sentence
Verb
She wanted to send him a letter but couldn't recall his address.
I don't recall what time they said they would be here.
It is important to recall that not very long ago cell phones did not exist.
From what I recall, I think the library is two blocks down on the left.
“The first time we met,” he recalled, “we got into a big argument.”
As you may recall, we had agreed that decisions would require prior approval.
“What's his address?” “I don't recall.”
The ambassador was recalled from abroad.
The factory is recalling all the cars because of a problem with the brakes.
Officials recalled two tons of contaminated meat today.
Noun
They issued a recall of workers after the layoff.
The factory has issued a recall of all cars with the defective brakes.
She did mental exercises meant to improve her recall.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2024
The new model’s boxy exterior and available two-tone paint consciously recall the 1958 Land Cruiser that was one of Toyota’s first successes in the American market, while its price and features establish it as one of the brand’s modern flagships.
—Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 16 Apr. 2024
One user said they’d been told by their dealer that the truck was recalled over its accelerator pedal.
—Wes Davis, The Verge, 15 Apr. 2024
With public image hits, product recalls, supply chain disruptions, internal conflicts, and cybersecurity breaches, business owners face vulnerabilities on every front.
—Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2024
For anyone who came of age in the late nineties and still recalls the moment in which grunge (fading) and pop-punk (ascendant) had a brief but potent sartorial collision, the look of the Guts tour, both onstage and off, will feel deeply familiar.
—Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
In 2022, voters in San Francisco recalled Chesa Boudin, the district attorney, as residents grew exasperated over property crimes and open-air drug dealing.
—Ernesto Londoño, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2024
Before their final road trip of the season, the San Jose Sharks on Sunday recalled goalie Georgi Romanov, defenseman Jack Thompson, and forward Danil Gushchin on an emergency loan basis from the AHL.
—Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024
But the implants have a harrowing history: Several disk implants were recalled or discontinued in the '90s due to dangerous failures.
—Anna Werner, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024
Tess Riski, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2024
The county elections office on Monday announced recall organizers had submitted enough valid signatures on recall petitions to spark an election with little, if any, precedent in the East Bay.
—Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024
Phillips required to public aware of recall In 2022, the FDA ordered the company to improve its outreach to customers about the recall and to be more transparent about the health risks of the products.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
The recall involves 22,270 Bronco Sport vehicles from the 2022 and 2023 model years and 20,382 Escape vehicles from 2022.
—The Enquirer, 11 Apr. 2024
At the time of the recall, both Philips and the FDA described potential health risks including respiratory tract illnesses, headaches, nausea, and toxic and carcinogenic effects.
—Michael Korsh, ProPublica, 9 Apr. 2024
Salmonella, listeria and bits of plastic were found in foods involved in recent recalls.
—Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 2 Apr. 2024
Safety advocates complain, though, that the repairs are taking far longer than fixes from auto recalls normally do.
—Tom Krisher, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
But the group, the Enid Social Justice Committee, moved forward with its plan to collect enough signatures for a recall petition, eventually forcing a special election that is being held on Tuesday.
—Ashley Killough, CNN, 2 Apr. 2024
Verb
Over 250,000 speakers marketed for children have been recalled due to a fire risk.
—Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2024
The new model’s boxy exterior and available two-tone paint consciously recall the 1958 Land Cruiser that was one of Toyota’s first successes in the American market, while its price and features establish it as one of the brand’s modern flagships.
—Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 16 Apr. 2024
One user said they’d been told by their dealer that the truck was recalled over its accelerator pedal.
—Wes Davis, The Verge, 15 Apr. 2024
With public image hits, product recalls, supply chain disruptions, internal conflicts, and cybersecurity breaches, business owners face vulnerabilities on every front.
—Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2024
For anyone who came of age in the late nineties and still recalls the moment in which grunge (fading) and pop-punk (ascendant) had a brief but potent sartorial collision, the look of the Guts tour, both onstage and off, will feel deeply familiar.
—Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
In 2022, voters in San Francisco recalled Chesa Boudin, the district attorney, as residents grew exasperated over property crimes and open-air drug dealing.
—Ernesto Londoño, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2024
Before their final road trip of the season, the San Jose Sharks on Sunday recalled goalie Georgi Romanov, defenseman Jack Thompson, and forward Danil Gushchin on an emergency loan basis from the AHL.
—Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024
But the implants have a harrowing history: Several disk implants were recalled or discontinued in the '90s due to dangerous failures.
—Anna Werner, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024
Noun
Commissioners quickly devolved into arguments about the recall in the middle of the public comment period.
—Tess Riski, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2024
The county elections office on Monday announced recall organizers had submitted enough valid signatures on recall petitions to spark an election with little, if any, precedent in the East Bay.
—Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024
Phillips required to public aware of recall In 2022, the FDA ordered the company to improve its outreach to customers about the recall and to be more transparent about the health risks of the products.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
The recall involves 22,270 Bronco Sport vehicles from the 2022 and 2023 model years and 20,382 Escape vehicles from 2022.
—The Enquirer, 11 Apr. 2024
At the time of the recall, both Philips and the FDA described potential health risks including respiratory tract illnesses, headaches, nausea, and toxic and carcinogenic effects.
—Michael Korsh, ProPublica, 9 Apr. 2024
Salmonella, listeria and bits of plastic were found in foods involved in recent recalls.
—Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 2 Apr. 2024
Safety advocates complain, though, that the repairs are taking far longer than fixes from auto recalls normally do.
—Tom Krisher, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
But the group, the Enid Social Justice Committee, moved forward with its plan to collect enough signatures for a recall petition, eventually forcing a special election that is being held on Tuesday.
—Ashley Killough, CNN, 2 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'recall.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Recall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recall. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
recall
1 of 2 verb
re·call
ri-ˈkȯl 
1
: cancel sense 2a, revoke
recalled the order
2
a
: to call back
soldiers recalled to active duty
recalled cars with brake problems
b
: to bring back to mind : remember
recalled seeing her somewhere before
1
: a command to return
2
: a way in which a public official may be removed from office by vote of the people
3
: remembrance of what has been learned or experienced
4
: the act of canceling (as an order)
5
: a call by a manufacturer for the return of a product that may be defective or contaminated
Medical Definition
Legal Definition
recall
noun
re·call
ri-ˈkȧl, ˈrē-ˌkȯl
1
: a call to return
a recall of workers
2
: the right or procedure by which an official may be removed by vote of the people
a recall petition
3
: the act of revoking
4
: a public call by a manufacturer for the return of a defective or especially unsafe product
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