heeling

verb

present participle of heel
as in tilting
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

Relevance

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 heeling In order to keep the lightweight watercraft from heeling over completely, crew members frantically scurry back and forth onto planks that are suspended out above the water on each side, rising and falling like seasick seesaws. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heeling
  1. tilting
  2. sloping
  3. leaning
  4. angling
Verb
  • Start by ensuring the drain line is clear and tilting the AC unit just enough so that water doesn’t simply accumulate in the drain pan.
    — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 10 July 2026
  • Celebrity CEOs in the feed What’s changed over the past few years is that the format of executive communications is tilting toward social‑native content.
    — Rachel Ventresca, Fortune, 5 July 2026
Definition of tilting
Verb
  • Beyond the road lie much smaller buildings organized in neat rows made up of a jumble of hard angles—porch steps, open windows, sloping roofs—that seem to spring spontaneously from the ground.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
  • This one from Arhaus is currently over $1,000 off, with sloping arms for all-day comfort.
    — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 15 July 2026
Definition of sloping
Verb
  • Post-Love Island USA, Terry and Tshnieder have actually been thriving, leaning into their messy onscreen breakup by collaborating on a humorous photoshoot that featured Terry throwing coffee in his face.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026
  • While some of Cooper’s videos openly criticize the left, the majority of her channel is dedicated to analyzing pop-culture topics with a right-leaning bent.
    — Avery Stone, Time, 14 July 2026
Definition of leaning
Verb
  • In forging a relationship with Darline Graham — who is new to politics but was a constant in her brother’s political career — Trump could be angling to develop another ally to help steer his agenda through the Senate.
    — Meg Kinnard, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026
  • Prune roses at a 45-degree angle above a bud eye, angling downward on the opposite side of the stem from the eye.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 16 July 2026
Definition of angling

Browse Nearby Words

heeled
heeling
heels
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heeling. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on heeling

Nglish: Translation of heeling for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dog days

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All