reeling 1 of 2

as in giddy
having a feeling of being whirled about and in danger of falling down the blood donor experienced a reeling sensation after standing up too quickly

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reeling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of reel
1
as in spinning
to be in a confused state as if from being twirled around his mind reeled upon hearing the news that his employer had been indicted for fraud

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

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 reeling
Adjective
Even if Lee were sober and thinking straight, her alluring, blows-hot-and-cold Betty Jo would be impossible for a guy like Lee — reckless, reeling, distractible — to resist. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
One of the hottest teams in the league during the first half of the season, the Colts were sent reeling last week by the Steelers. Mike Jones, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025 The Context Jankavski's sudden death has left her fans reeling. MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025 From the fire lines to stories of hope and resilience, our coverage sought to inform and unite a region reeling from crisis. ABC News, 5 Nov. 2025 Following the tragic deaths, the local community was left reeling. Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 3 Nov. 2025 Recent reports that a number of current and former NBA players were allegedly faking injuries and trading inside information with crooked gamblers has left sports fans and media reeling. David Hill, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025 The series follows the slow and halting coming together of Noah, reeling from a broken relationship, and Joanne (Kristen Bell), an agnostic podcaster with seemingly little in common with the spiritual leader. Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025 American soybean farmers have been reeling from China’s effective embargo on the commodity that began in May, when higher tariffs went into place. Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025 The decision left survivors reeling. Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reeling
Adjective
  • Helm rises too, goes as high as possible, gets a little giddy (there are upper limits to Helm’s domain).
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
  • The overall impact leaves even a coffee utilitarian like me giddy.
    Editors of Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Washing for too long and spinning at the highest final spin rate causes wear and tear on clothes.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2025
  • College football’s coaching carousel is spinning faster and faster as the regular season enters its final month, and the breeze coming off it can be felt in Minnesota.
    Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Cheng likes to build muni bond ladders, which means staggering the maturity dates of multiple bonds.
    Michelle Fox, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2025
  • To get through the season and the playoffs, staggering the minutes of Green and Horford is logical, even with Quintin Post picking up some center minutes.
    Jannelle Moore, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Symptoms can include vomiting more than three times a day, feeling constantly dizzy and lightheaded and losing weight.
    Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Traditionally, Sean Payton’s teams deploy a revolving personnel carousel that can leave opposing defensive coordinators dizzy.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Back then, Newcastle’s thin squad staggered between results, lurching from challenging the best sides in the league to befuddling losses to inferior squads.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
  • The administration’s lurching one way and another with tariffs is another example.
    Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The debate over lasting solutions reveals the complexity of how criminal organizations have grown so powerful, weaving themselves into nearly every layer of Brazilian society over time.
    Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025
  • What results is a familiar historical drama, weaving together many various characters in the buildup to the climactic courtroom showdown.
    Lindsey Bahr, Boston Herald, 6 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Reeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reeling. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.

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