diff --git a/doc/recover.6 b/doc/recover.6
index 5d78684ee..922981d00 100644
--- a/doc/recover.6
+++ b/doc/recover.6
@@ -22,11 +22,10 @@
 recover \- recover a NetHack game interrupted by disaster
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 .B recover
-[
-.B \-d
-.I directory
-]
-.I "base1 base2" ...
+.RB [ \-d
+.IR playground-directory ]
+.I base
+\&.\|.\|.
 .SH DESCRIPTION
 Occasionally, a NetHack game will be interrupted by disaster
 when the game or the system crashes.