as in dogs
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 slopes
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 heels
Rikkilynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 31 Jan. 2026
Starmer’s four-day visit to China is the first by a British leader since 2018 and comes on the heels of a similar trip by Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada.
—Melinda Yao, NBC news, 31 Jan. 2026
Push your hips back and squat down while keeping your weight in your heels.
—Will Stone, NPR, 31 Jan. 2026
Lugs at the outsoles offer traction on wet, snowy, or icy terrain, and the toe caps and heels are even built to be exceptionally durable.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 31 Jan. 2026
Massive acquisitions in the alt space The timing of the executive carry program comes hard on the heels of massive acquisitions by BlackRock and a major strategic shift further into alts industrywide.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
The model aimed to create a durable slipper option for the heels-off moments in life.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 30 Jan. 2026
The sweater will look great with everything from jeans and booties to a midi skirt and heels.
—Mia Huelsbeck, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Fans begged for a hot tag, but the heels continued to isolate Rhea on the outside.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 23 Dec. 2025
For footwear, Rodrigo slipped into Babette Mary Jane heels from Stuart Weitzman in a shiny black patent leather.
—Tara Larson, Footwear News, 21 Dec. 2025
Amanu, the youngest, is the most experimental, wearing business casual ties and button downs one day and trying on a sequined dress and heels the next.
—Essence, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
Stand back up, keeping your core tight and pressing through your heels.
—Rikkilynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 31 Jan. 2026
Starmer’s four-day visit to China is the first by a British leader since 2018 and comes on the heels of a similar trip by Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada.
—Melinda Yao, NBC news, 31 Jan. 2026
Push your hips back and squat down while keeping your weight in your heels.
—Will Stone, NPR, 31 Jan. 2026
Lugs at the outsoles offer traction on wet, snowy, or icy terrain, and the toe caps and heels are even built to be exceptionally durable.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 31 Jan. 2026
Massive acquisitions in the alt space The timing of the executive carry program comes hard on the heels of massive acquisitions by BlackRock and a major strategic shift further into alts industrywide.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
The model aimed to create a durable slipper option for the heels-off moments in life.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 30 Jan. 2026
The sweater will look great with everything from jeans and booties to a midi skirt and heels.
—Mia Huelsbeck, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Fans begged for a hot tag, but the heels continued to isolate Rhea on the outside.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Verb
The action then moves to a studio where Law Roach is styling Adrina Lima who is wearing an archival Maison Margiela top with a Miss Claire Sullivan skirt and Helmut Lang heels.
—Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 23 Dec. 2025
For footwear, Rodrigo slipped into Babette Mary Jane heels from Stuart Weitzman in a shiny black patent leather.
—Tara Larson, Footwear News, 21 Dec. 2025
Amanu, the youngest, is the most experimental, wearing business casual ties and button downs one day and trying on a sequined dress and heels the next.
—Essence, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heels
Noun
-
In 2022, Japanese researchers found that dogs produced tears when reuniting with their humans.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Ending the retail sales of dogs is a crucial way to reduce demand from puppy mills.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The road, lined with two-story homes on each side, slopes down a gradual hill.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Meanwhile, seawater intrudes like an advancing army toward thicker ice, which rests on bedrock that slopes inward toward the bowl-like center of the continent.—
Evan Howell,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Moreover, where most clients are great, some are jerks.—
Kathy Kristof,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The herks and jerks, the highs and lows, the lack of consistency that has summed up so much of McCarthy’s season reared their oft-ugly heads.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Ford tilts his head back with a chuckle.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Even the display screen tilts forward.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Compassionate Venus angles off auspicious Jupiter, spotlighting your 8th House of Generous Intimacy, which could signal adjustments around trust and money.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Yet this is where Ueda’s BOJ finds itself as newish Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi angles to re-open the stimulus floodgates to juice the economy.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There are other quirky attractions here, too, like the Clown Motel, where horror enthusiasts can sleep among a collection of more than 6,500 clowns.—
Cailey Rizzo,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Jan. 2026
-
After his parents divorced, his mother took 5-year-old Salazar with her, moving from place to place around South America, and performing as clowns to make money.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The critters who drop in or call the space home range from monarch butterflies, ladybugs and lizards to hummingbirds and bushtits, skunks, opossums and even the occasional mountain lion.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Jan. 2026
-
Thiols are responsible for the distinctive aromas of skunk spray and ripe durian; they’re also added to natural gas to provide a detectable rotten-egg smell at even trace levels.—
Nicola Twilley,
New Yorker,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Attendees can explore a wide variety of reptiles available for purchase, including snakes, lizards, turtles and more.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The toe caps of these shoes were fashioned to look like snakes and birds.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heels. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
