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Synonyms

come to mind

Idioms  

  1. Be recollected, occur to one, as in A new idea just came to mind. This phrase replaced the earlier come in mind, which dates from the late 1300s. Also see bring to mind; call to mind; enter one's mind.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When you think of eating in Paris, bistros come to mind.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

None of these words come to mind when we think about Andy Richter.

From Salon • Nov. 4, 2025

Dinner parties, love letters and secret recipes - perhaps not the first things that come to mind when you think about writing a will.

From BBC • Oct. 31, 2025

Milo Yiannopoulos and Steven Crowder come to mind, as does Kirk competitor Ben Shapiro.

From Slate • Sep. 10, 2025

Still, when classmates ask about my father, sometimes short and smiley come to mind before I can stop it.

From "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.