beyond recall

Idioms and Phrases

Irreversible, irretrievable, as in We can't repair this screen—it's beyond recall , or It's too late to cancel our plans—they're beyond recall . This idiom employs recall in the sense of revoking or annulling something. [Mid-1600s]

Example Sentences

“Until her dying day,” said one observer, “I don’t think Vivien believed Olivier was beyond recall.”

From Washington Post

“Russian forests are groaning under the ax, billions of trees are perishing, the homes of beasts and birds are devastated, the rivers grow shallow and dry up, wonderful landscapes disappear beyond recall.”

From Washington Post

Some memories were beyond recall, even with the photos.

From New York Times

The fleeting moment had passed, beyond recall.

From Literature

What evil it saith I do not know; but I trace here a copy of it, lest it fade beyond recall.

From Literature

Related Words

• desperate
• forlorn
• helpless
• impossible
• pointless
• sad
• tragic
• useless