recurred; recurring
1
: to have recourse : resort
2
: to go back in thought or discourse
on recurring to my letters of that date—
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson3
a
: to come up again for consideration
b
: to come again to mind
4
: to occur again after an interval : occur time after time
the cancer recurred
Examples of recur in a Sentence
There is only a slight chance that the disease will recur.
The same problem keeps recurring.
Recent Examples on the Web
The recurring ‘70s sketch went on to inspire a 1993 film starring the Aykroyd, 72, and Curtin, 77.
—Dana Rose Falcone, People.com, 17 Feb. 2025
While the recurring lotus motif throughout the hotel came long before White Lotus, new experiences geared toward fans like me highlight how significant the flower is to Thai people.
—Anna Haines, Travel + Leisure, 17 Feb. 2025
The sketch recurred eight times between 2008 and 2012, with hosts like Paul Rudd, Taylor Swift, Charles Barkley, and Lindsay Lohan playing either inmates or teens.
—Jillian Sederholm, EW.com, 17 Feb. 2025
Girls trying to learn to negotiate the world, repressive institutions in cavernous spaces and obscurely malevolent authority figures, all suffused in an atmosphere of menace, are her recurring motifs.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for recur 
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Dana Rose Falcone, People.com, 17 Feb. 2025
While the recurring lotus motif throughout the hotel came long before White Lotus, new experiences geared toward fans like me highlight how significant the flower is to Thai people.
—Anna Haines, Travel + Leisure, 17 Feb. 2025
The sketch recurred eight times between 2008 and 2012, with hosts like Paul Rudd, Taylor Swift, Charles Barkley, and Lindsay Lohan playing either inmates or teens.
—Jillian Sederholm, EW.com, 17 Feb. 2025
Girls trying to learn to negotiate the world, repressive institutions in cavernous spaces and obscurely malevolent authority figures, all suffused in an atmosphere of menace, are her recurring motifs.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for recur
Dictionary Entries Near recur
Cite this Entry
“Recur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recur. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
recur
verb
re·cur
ri-ˈkər 
recurred; recurring
1
: to go or come back in thought or discussion
2
: to come again into the mind
3
: to occur or appear again
Medical Definition
recur
intransitive verb
re·cur
ri-ˈkər
recurred; recurring
: to occur again after an interval
a disease likely to recur
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