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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
The delicate heel offers lift without the discomfort of taller stilettos, while the jeweled straps bring a playful pop of color that instantly transforms a simple outfit.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
On the heels of the Braves losing yet another potential starting pitcher, prospect JR Ritchie took the ball Tuesday at TD Stadium against the Blue Jays.
—Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Oil prices are sliding this morning on the heels of wild session yesterday that briefly sent crude to four-year highs before coming way off the boil.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heel
Noun
Born into an Ecuadorian-Guatemalan family, Southern California’s Trish Toledo first began signing cumbias and ballads before falling head-over-heels for the timeless pop, R&B and soul recordings from the ’60s and ’70s.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
The delicate heel offers lift without the discomfort of taller stilettos, while the jeweled straps bring a playful pop of color that instantly transforms a simple outfit.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
On the heels of the Braves losing yet another potential starting pitcher, prospect JR Ritchie took the ball Tuesday at TD Stadium against the Blue Jays.
—Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Oil prices are sliding this morning on the heels of wild session yesterday that briefly sent crude to four-year highs before coming way off the boil.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heel
Verb
-
But by stabilizing and then regrouping constructively, Interdigital has now traced out a bullish inverse head-and-shoulders pattern with an upward-sloping neckline.—
Frank Cappelleri,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Jost, who also submitted comments to the MPCA on her own behalf, noted that major flooding could someday spread hazardous waste that is buried dozens of feet down, and the site could eventually pose a threat to slope stability.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
My Jamaican Table, his first book (Springsteen wrote the foreword), is a mouth-watering mix of traditional classic dishes like oxtail with rice and peas, and curry chicken alongside modern spins on American classics, like his signature jerk smashburger with bacon jam.—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
16 Mar. 2026
-
So, yeah, of course this person is (probably) being a real jerk about things.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The star defenseman had a hand in all three goals, scoring the first and assisting on the next two, and seemed to tilt the ice all night.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
As the Earth moves around the sun and is tilted on its axis, certain parts of the world experience longer days during certain months.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Aside from butler services, valet parking, and dog and babysitting, the hotel offers an Experience Manager dedicated to curating personalized luxury adventures across the country.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
-
For those exercising and walking their dogs, taking regular water breaks was a must.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Three minutes later, Koga jumped to meet a corner from Honoko Hayashi and angled it into the back of the net to give Japan a 2-0 halftime lead.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
In the movie’s fuzzy metaphysics, Shelley wills herself into the consciousness of a character named Ida (also played by Buckley), a young woman angling for survival in 1930s Chicago — a colorful, dangerous world of bawdy lotharios and lethal gangsters.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Christopher Kosakowski, United States, 2025 A circus clown celebrating his birthday alone receives a mysterious gift box harboring an antique zoetrope that spins his world into mayhem.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The same clown who is owned by Vladimir Putin.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Nile monitors have been observed eating turtles, snakes, young crocodiles and other reptiles, birds and their eggs, and small mammals.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Its prey includes insects, but also other frogs, fish, turtles, bats and even snakes.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Some owls will hunt the wildlife that raids our garbage cans, like skunks and opossums.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Raccoons, skunks, crows, and moles feed on lawn grubs.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heel. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
