as in cowards
a person without strength of character
the congresswoman is but a reed who bends whichever way the political winds are blowing
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 reeds
Because of the weir, the 220-acre lagoon can’t flow freely to the ocean and is slowly filling with silt and reeds.
—
Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
Rods and lures safely stowed, the paddling anglers head past the swampy banks and cast their lines through the reeds and lily pads.
—Wesley Bruer, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
The reeds once blocked the view of the Grand Calumet from the dune and swale, but on the southern side of that section of the river, most have been removed.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
Given that reeds can be seen as public infrastructure that can protect the entire coast, taxpayer funding is another option.
—Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
This pick has dried flowers mixed in with the reeds for a cozy look.
—Brittney Morgan, Travel + Leisure, 25 Aug. 2025
Jo Malone’s green tomato vine diffuser offers a greenhouse-fresh scent, designed to last for months as its distributed among chic black reeds.
—Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
An unofficial trail begins on the south side and winds through darkening canopy and chest-high reeds to open up almost underneath the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, for those who want to live the Troll Life.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025
The iron girders of a water tower were reeds bending in the wind.
—Charles Pellegrino, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2025
Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
Rods and lures safely stowed, the paddling anglers head past the swampy banks and cast their lines through the reeds and lily pads.
—Wesley Bruer, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
The reeds once blocked the view of the Grand Calumet from the dune and swale, but on the southern side of that section of the river, most have been removed.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
Given that reeds can be seen as public infrastructure that can protect the entire coast, taxpayer funding is another option.
—Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
This pick has dried flowers mixed in with the reeds for a cozy look.
—Brittney Morgan, Travel + Leisure, 25 Aug. 2025
Jo Malone’s green tomato vine diffuser offers a greenhouse-fresh scent, designed to last for months as its distributed among chic black reeds.
—Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
An unofficial trail begins on the south side and winds through darkening canopy and chest-high reeds to open up almost underneath the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, for those who want to live the Troll Life.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025
The iron girders of a water tower were reeds bending in the wind.
—Charles Pellegrino, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reeds
Noun
-
We are told that politics is for cowards, literary analysis is for women, education is a system of liberal indoctrination, brave individuals must resist the herd.—
Robert Rubsam,
Vulture,
18 Sep. 2025
-
But Democrats look like cowards for fleeing the state.—
Nicole Russell,
USA Today,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
My candidacy is a symbol of the end of the weak-kneed, feckless Republican leadership of Mitch McConnell, and the spineless swamp jellyfish that are in the United States Senate representing the Republicans.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Boissevain’s nature photography captures these in-transition landscapes in vivid hues and alien geometries, from close-ups of jellyfish-like crystal deposits to aerial shots of what scans like the surface of Mars.—
Randy McMullen,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
After getting picked apart by Texas A&M and bullied by Miami, the defense’s performance against one of the Big Ten’s doormats should have been better.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
21 Sep. 2025
-
Welcoming everyone from friends and family to even trick-or-treaters, your guests will feel a big, warm welcome with any of these 10 front doormats.—
Gabriela Izquierdo,
Southern Living,
20 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Shows promise in mice models The brain is metabolically demanding, depending on a complex vascular system to supply energy and remove waste.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
About 1,746 people died, along with thousands of cattle, sheep, goats, chickens, dogs, and untold birds, antelope, and other wildlife.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The process typically lasts only a few minutes per sheep and is done at least once a year to prevent health complications such as overheating, flystrike, and restricted movement caused by excess wool growth.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reeds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reeds. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share