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
Thursday’s casting news comes on the heels of the renewal of Prime Video’s adaptation of Fortune’s debut novel Every Summer After. — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026 Haddish, who is a fan of a strappy heel, opted for a pair of fun Gianvito Rossi sandals — the luxury footwear designer’s Bijoux style — in a rich metallic gold. — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 16 July 2026 Pair your heels with a monochromatic outfit (like the all-white ensemble shown above) for a put-together feel. — India Roby, Glamour, 16 July 2026 Her dress had a high-low effect that accentuated her legs and gave her matching strappy heels their own moment. — Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 16 July 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
  • Led and inspired by Chef Wayne Sharpe, this fast Jamaican restaurant serves iconic island meals like jerk chicken, jerk shrimp, vegan jerk, pineapple plantains, rice and peas, and Jamaican patties.
    — Alexandra Phelps July 15, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
  • Bates plans to expand that menu in the new brick-and-mortar restaurant, adding dishes like jerk catfish pasta and Louisiana Cajun cream sauce over dirty rice.
    — Joey Schamber, jsonline.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of jerk
Verb
  • The device lacked its battery, turning it from an electronic measure of distance and slope into a set of binoculars.
    — Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of slope
Noun
  • On Saturday, rescue crews aided by dogs and detectors found signs of life, confirming that at least one survivor was still trapped beneath the rubble.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
  • Most famously, in 1966 the trophy was found underneath a hedge by a dog called Pickles a week after thieves had taken it from Westminster Central Hall, London, following England’s victory.
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of dog
Verb
  • The divide between scholars and critics seems in part a matter of whether the balance should tilt toward Nolan or Homer.
    — Hillel Italie, Fortune, 20 July 2026
  • French dreams of the yellow jersey never really got going, but Julian Alaphilippe did win two stages and the polka dot jersey, a precursor to his valiant and oh-so-close GC tilt the following year.
    — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of tilt
Noun
  • Perhaps most astonishingly, the movie manages to make creepy clowns — that shopworn trope — genuinely frightening again.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
  • The group demonstrated near the Washington Monument and was met by a few counter protestors, one of which played clown music throughout the majority of the demonstration.
    — Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of clown
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 angle
Noun
  • The tracker implanted inside her will eventually lead the team to more snakes.
    — Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
  • Guidry, at the prow, raised the lantern, revealed in the circle oflight a bobbing tangle of sargassum weed, a swimming snake, a child’s cloth doll.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
Definition of snake
Noun
  • Compared to skunks and coyotes, raccoons were the quickest to discover that tapping the left button would release food, with most of the eight raccoon subjects unlocking the puzzle within one or two attempts.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
  • For instance, inside the skunks’ pen, a cat litter box was filled with dirt, leaves and other natural substrate.
    — Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026
Definition of skunk

Phrases Containing heel

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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 22 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on heel

Nglish: Translation of heel for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about heel

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