as in cowards
a person without strength of character
the congresswoman is but a reed who bends whichever way the political winds are blowing
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Recent Examples of reeds
Linas, a runner, started the Creek Team OC Instagram account after noticing changes on his runs along San Juan and Trabuco creeks, where lush green reeds suddenly turned brown and lifeless.
—
Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
The protagonist is a nine-year-old girl named Lamia (Baneen Ahmad Nayyef), who lives with her grandmother (Waheed Thabet Khreibat), in a mudhif, a house of twisted reeds, in Iraq’s southern marshlands.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
The hippos carve the winding channels of the Delta, breaking through blockages of reeds and water lilies and opening floodgates for the rain that flows down from Angola each year.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
Dozens of kayakers lined up beneath the West Mission Bay Drive Bridge on a clear, chilly Saturday morning, preparing to paddle through the San Diego River Estuary’s shallow reeds in search of trash threatening one of the region’s most important wildlife habitats.
—Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Jan. 2026
Along the banks, the giants of Amazonia, the sentinel royal palms and the colossal domed kapoks, rose above a confusion of trunks, reeds, and trailing vines.
—Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Hole soil analysis also found ancient pollens of maize – a key staple in the Andes – and reeds traditionally used for basket-making.
—New Atlas, 21 Dec. 2025
At the ciénega, Pitt noted the rhythmic grunts of a Yuma Ridgway’s rail, a resident marsh bird the size of a chicken that makes a racket but rarely shows itself among the reeds.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Ancient pollen grains found inside the holes point to the presence of crops such as maize, as well as wild plants including reeds and willow that have traditionally been used to make baskets, Bongers noted.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025
Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
The protagonist is a nine-year-old girl named Lamia (Baneen Ahmad Nayyef), who lives with her grandmother (Waheed Thabet Khreibat), in a mudhif, a house of twisted reeds, in Iraq’s southern marshlands.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
The hippos carve the winding channels of the Delta, breaking through blockages of reeds and water lilies and opening floodgates for the rain that flows down from Angola each year.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
Dozens of kayakers lined up beneath the West Mission Bay Drive Bridge on a clear, chilly Saturday morning, preparing to paddle through the San Diego River Estuary’s shallow reeds in search of trash threatening one of the region’s most important wildlife habitats.
—Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Jan. 2026
Along the banks, the giants of Amazonia, the sentinel royal palms and the colossal domed kapoks, rose above a confusion of trunks, reeds, and trailing vines.
—Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Hole soil analysis also found ancient pollens of maize – a key staple in the Andes – and reeds traditionally used for basket-making.
—New Atlas, 21 Dec. 2025
At the ciénega, Pitt noted the rhythmic grunts of a Yuma Ridgway’s rail, a resident marsh bird the size of a chicken that makes a racket but rarely shows itself among the reeds.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Ancient pollen grains found inside the holes point to the presence of crops such as maize, as well as wild plants including reeds and willow that have traditionally been used to make baskets, Bongers noted.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reeds
Noun
-
Parties aside, the majority of our legislators are cowards.—
Sam Meas,
Boston Herald,
2 Mar. 2026
-
And Trump calls ’em almost like cowards.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Astrophotographer Ogetay Kayali has captured a nebula resembling a jellyfish — or possibly a brain, depending on your perspective — shining 5,000 light-years from Earth near the bright star Propus, which represents one foot of a mythological twin represented in the constellation Gemini.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The species discovered include ancient relatives of worms, sponges and jellyfish.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In addition to dusting, keeping doormats at all entryways will help reduce the amount of dirt and debris in your home.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Place doormats at every entrance and choose entryway rugs that can easily be cleaned.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Particularly caring mice dads will groom their pups and even insulate them with their bellies against inclement weather.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Stained clothing, furniture, and rugs, anything that smells musty or mildewy, and items stored in spaces with termite, bedbug, or mice infestations should be thrown away rather than donated.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Tests on rats and sheep show injuries consistent with those seen in humans.—
Scott Pelley,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Sable Pass at Mile 39 is a top spot for grizzly bears, caribou, and Dall sheep.—
Karthika Gupta,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reeds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reeds. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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