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to recur

to recur

1 6.2
Go back to the same idea in thought or conversation
  • verb
  • /rɪˈkɜr/
: volver a abordar
  • Comment, Mr. Robinson: My comment is on the recurring theme of one of our earlier questioners.
  • recurring theme
  • recur frequently
  • recurring pattern

Examples

  • And these concepts will recur later in the class OK.

  • In many of her poems, feelings of nostalgia recur as a central theme.

  • As I travel around the country, one of my recurring themes is the importance of partnership efforts.

    Academic text (1999)
  • A personal mythology recurs in my writing, much the same way.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Together, they form patterns that recur, with different variations, in the weave of our life.

    Academic text (1999)
  • And yet, in gatherings such as this, sadder thoughts will recur to our minds.

  • African textiles have been a recurring theme for museum curators in British institutions.

    Academic text (1996)
  • The motif of center and circle recurs in another whimsically domestic setting in Middlemarch.

    Academic text (1997)
  • During our discussion, the topic of climate change will recur several times.

  • As we delve into his biography, the challenges he faced will recur throughout the narrative.

Synonyms

to go back
vsto recur
∞ 1.0

Return to a previous place, topic, or state

focuses specifically on returning to a subject in thought or talk
to return
vsto recur
∞ 1.0

Go back to a place, state or activity

is specifically about returning to a subject in thought or verbal exchange
to repeat
vsto recur
∞ 1.0

To do or say something again

is specifically about coming back to an idea in conversation or thought
to come back
vsto recur
289 1.3

To return to a previous subject or point

is about returning to a subject in thought or conversation
to reiterate
vsto recur
93 5.9

To say something again to make it clear

is about returning to a subject rather than repeating for emphasis
to revisit
vsto recur
80 3.7

To return to an idea or topic to think about it again

is a general return to a subject in thought or conversation
to reintroduce
vsto recur
36 3.9

To bring something back after it was gone or not used

is narrower, focusing on returning to a subject in talk or thought
to resurrect
vsto recur
30 6.8

Bring something back into use after it was forgotten

is about returning to a subject in thought rather than reviving usage
to reoccur
vsto recur
5 3.8

Happen again after some time

focuses on returning in thought or conversation, not on events happening again
to recapitulate
vsto recur
  • Formal
1 8.6

To repeat the main theme near the end of a piece

is used for returning to a topic in ordinary talk or thought
to re-argue
vsto recur
  • UK
1 6.4

Talk about something again after others have already decided it

is a general return to a topic, not specifically renewing debate
to reraise
vsto recur
1 6.1

To mention a topic or problem again

covers returning to a subject more generally rather than just rementioning it
to repropose
vsto recur
1 7.0

To suggest an idea again after people refused it

is broader, covering any return to a subject in conversation or thought
8.1

Repeat old ideas without adding anything new

is a neutral return to a subject, not necessarily reusing old material
to rechew old ideas
vsto recur
8.3

To think again about past ideas to find new views

is about revisiting a subject in conversation or thinking rather than deep study

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

296 3.0

To refuse to accept an idea or claim

How Often

to persist
80 3.5
to recur
1 6.2
to say again
424 1.6

Surface Forms

recur infinitive
recurred past
recurred past participle
recurring present participle
recurs third person singular

Morphology

recur = occur (semi-transparent) = re + cur

The prefix 're-' (again) plus the sense 'occur' (happen) suggests repetition, but the sense 'return to a subject' is a metaphorical extension and not fully predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Recur comes from the Latin parts re- ('again') and currere ('to run'), so it originally meant 'run back'. Think of a thought or a conversation that 'runs back' to the same idea, and that's why to recur to a topic is to return to it.