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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in staggering
to move forward while swaying from side to side
got off the amusement park ride reeling and barely able to stand
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2025
Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
Now, the reeling Longhorns can only hope the defeat isn’t the last game of the season for a team that finds itself back on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026
The fate of 21 members of Iran’s women’s national soccer team remained uncertain Tuesday after five teammates were granted asylum in Australia, leaving the rest of the squad to decide whether to return to a country still reeling from war.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 10 Mar. 2026
While media focus has been on the conflict’s human cost and impact on the Gulf’s key economic sectors of oil and gas production, air travel, and tourism, the region’s film and TV industries, which the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been working hard to scale up in recent years, are also reeling.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 10 Mar. 2026
Van Dyke was considered a pioneer of surfing in Northern California and the incident left many in the surfing community reeling.
—Jen Murphy, Outside, 10 Mar. 2026
That setback was the first of 19 in a 22-game stretch that left the Clippers reeling at 6-21.
—Janis Carr, Oc Register, 10 Mar. 2026
The Detroit Pistons are reeling.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
The back line — still reeling from the departure of center back Adilson Malanda this offseason — shored up its mistakes and stood tall.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Mar. 2026
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
Attention is immediately centered on Jordan Ngatikaura, who is still reeling from the affair his wife Jessi Draper had with Vanderpump castmember Marciano Brunette, who himself, off camera, is navigating a legal battle with fellow Mormon Wife Demi Engemann.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
Now, the reeling Longhorns can only hope the defeat isn’t the last game of the season for a team that finds itself back on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026
The fate of 21 members of Iran’s women’s national soccer team remained uncertain Tuesday after five teammates were granted asylum in Australia, leaving the rest of the squad to decide whether to return to a country still reeling from war.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 10 Mar. 2026
While media focus has been on the conflict’s human cost and impact on the Gulf’s key economic sectors of oil and gas production, air travel, and tourism, the region’s film and TV industries, which the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been working hard to scale up in recent years, are also reeling.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 10 Mar. 2026
Van Dyke was considered a pioneer of surfing in Northern California and the incident left many in the surfing community reeling.
—Jen Murphy, Outside, 10 Mar. 2026
That setback was the first of 19 in a 22-game stretch that left the Clippers reeling at 6-21.
—Janis Carr, Oc Register, 10 Mar. 2026
The Detroit Pistons are reeling.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
The back line — still reeling from the departure of center back Adilson Malanda this offseason — shored up its mistakes and stood tall.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reeling
Adjective
-
Sharing the screen only took their bromance to the next level—and gave way to a giddy press tour that spotlighted their bond.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Weapons‘ Amy Madigan was giddy to have prevailed in the Best Supporting Actress race at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In one sequence, a solemn Gregorian chant pivots to a tango as Grace and Rocky’s ships connect airlock-to-airlock in spinning orbit.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
-
This, according to Dell, is thanks to larger fans than on previous iterations, with the 18-inch laptop spinning up a 20% larger Cryo-Chamber fan than its predecessor.—
James Peckham,
PC Magazine,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Add additional rows of blocks, staggering them over the previous layer and using construction adhesive between rows.—
Daniel Modlin,
Architectural Digest,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Dash camera video posted by the Huber Heights Police Department on its Facebook page shows the worker rolling the bin toward a garbage truck, lifting the lid and quickly staggering back before pointing toward the container as officers pull up.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Symptoms include decreased urination, dry mouth and throat, feeling dizzy when standing up, crying with few or no tears, and unusual sleepiness or fussiness.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Disneyland temporarily closed a large part of Tomorrowland on Tuesday after a hazmat incident near Star Tours and Space Mountain caused several employees to feel dizzy and have trouble breathing.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There are plenty of differences, but the stability Atleti have fostered in sticking with Simeone stands in stark contrast to Spurs’ habit of lurching between managers, styles and approaches.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Brant, who was elected in a special election in August, inherited an office already in disarray, in a county that has spent the past year lurching from one government crisis to the next.—
Nick El Hajj,
Des Moines Register,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The magnetar was initially surrounded by a whirling disk of matter, funneling from its inner edge onto the stellar remnant.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The story, at a distance, features the utmost potential for emotional intensity, but the closer the filmmakers get to weaving an overarching tapestry, the more the individual stories run together in terms of tone and spirit.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The jazz polymath wrote, played, produced, and mixed everything on his new solo album, weaving overlapping loops and knotty counterpoints into a dynamic suite of interconnected pieces.—
Mark Richardson,
Pitchfork,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reeling. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
