heel 1 of 2

noun

ˈhēl How to pronounce heel (audio)
Definition of heelnext
as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others felt like a heel when she found out that she'd blamed the wrong person

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

heel

2 of 2

verb

as in to slope
to set or cause to be at an angle the strong gust heeled the sailboat almost to the point of capsizing, but we managed to right it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of heel
Noun
The actress wore the same pair of heels to the 2026 Emmy Awards in September. — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026 The extension comes on the heels of consistent growth across MLR’s broadcast efforts and channels, including a 25% increase year over year for matches broadcast on ESPN2. — Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 9 Oct. 2026 Wilson's award comes on the heels of a recent controversy involving an Indiana Fever fan, whom the Aces star confronted during Game 2 of the teams' WNBA first-round playoff series. — Chantz Martin Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026 Purple ankle-strap heels can add a unique touch to any little black dress, or use them to complement shades of eggplant. — Nuria Luis, Glamour, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for heel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heel
  1. jerk
  2. slope
  3. dog
  4. tilt
  5. clown
  6. angle
  7. snake
  8. skunk
Noun
  • Bella’s childhood friend Angus (Jake Simmance), a corporate jerk, condescendingly probes Johnny about his career.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • There was significant excitement over the first-look footage revealing perhaps the world’s biggest movie star transforming himself to become a portly, gray-haired jerk in an offbeat feature focusing on climate change.
    — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of jerk
Verb
  • The backstory Seminary Hill Catskills is named after the south-sloping hillside with stunning views of the Delaware River Valley where it's situated, home to a now-shuttered former seminary.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2026
  • That’s paired with down-sloping winds and uncharacteristically warm ocean temperatures, driven in part by El Niño, that weaken sea breezes.
    — Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of slope
Noun
  • The first product in the line is a dog shampoo in the brand’s Orange & Cedarwood scent, priced at 18 pounds.
    — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Mainly looking to drown out a snoring partner, a barking dog or an overactive brain?
    — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of dog
Verb
  • Every moment a restaurant is not open, the balance sheet tilts a little more toward the red.
    — Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Reczek and Bosley-Smith acknowledge that people with especially conflictual parental relationships were less likely to authorize parent interviews, leaving that parent subsample tilted toward more positive ties.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of tilt
Noun
  • Jean pays tribute to the oversized trousers worn by rodeo clowns.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The gasoline shortage has become such a feature of daily life that even clowns at Moscow’s circus have cracked jokes about it.
    — Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of clown
Verb
  • On Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia, before a panel of judges and a crowd of hundreds, 14 residents took turns angling into tight spaces in the city’s first parallel parking championship.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Presidents angled for monuments honoring their predecessors, not themselves.
    — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of angle
Noun
  • Over a 13-month period that included the COVID-19 shutdown, the study identified 232 animal carcasses along the route, including bighorn sheep, mountain lions, squirrels and snakes.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • So was everyone relieved when the new Anaconda turned out to be a meta comedy and not some hardcore snake movie like Beware Boiúna?
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of snake
Noun
  • Officials say the last animal confirmed to have rabies that wasn’t a bat was a skunk infected with the bat strain of rabies in Long Beach in 2014.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • And coyotes regulate populations of mesocarnivores like skunks and raccoons, helping support the survival of ground-nesting birds.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of skunk

Phrases Containing heel

Browse Nearby Words

hee-haws
heel
heeled
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Cite this Entry

“Heel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heel. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on heel

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about heel

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