reel 1 of 2

noun

Definition of reelnext
as in rotation
a rapid turning about on an axis or central point she slipped and, after an out-of-control reel, fell on her backside

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reel

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to spin
to be in a confused state as if from being twirled around his mind reeled upon hearing the news that his employer had been indicted for fraud

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stagger
to move forward while swaying from side to side got off the amusement park ride reeling and barely able to stand

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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 reel
Noun
Mourmouras has submitted an application to the state for a first-ever swordfish rod-and-reel catch. — Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026 In a reel posted to Instagram on Saturday, news personality Morgan Paige shared some hints that the show could be headed to Charlotte. — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
The flights, which DHS has warned will increase, pose a looming challenge for Haiti, which woke up on Monday reeling from another deadly gang massacre in the hills above Port-au-Prince. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026 Jose’s siblings are reeling from the shock slaying so close to home. — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reel
  1. rotation
  2. spin
  3. stagger
  4. roll
  5. swim
  6. weave
  7. wheel
  8. lurch
Noun
  • But on Tuesday, left-hander Eric Lauer returned to the rotation and coughed up seven runs in three innings.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman made clear this week that Dunnigan is ready to help and will be in the rotation at safety.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of rotation
Verb
  • The Martian atmosphere is thin, just 1 percent the density of air at sea level on Earth, so helicopters flying on Mars must spin their rotors faster than on Earth to generate lift.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The team's prior work had identified that during rpTDEs, supermassive black holes exert a torque on the passing star that causes the star to spin faster during each passage.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of spin
Verb
  • As the deli’s surveillance video rolled, his client went from calmly standing at the counter with a bottle of Gatorade to staggering to the floor, clutching his leg and tearing at his pants.
    — Alison J. Stein, HubSpot, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Biden called for reforms, too, in his final year, recommending that the Court’s Justices be limited to eighteen-year terms, staggered so that Presidents could appoint one every two years.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of stagger
Noun
  • Over the years, culprits have ranged from El Niño and climate change to the World Trade Organization, rock ‘n’ roll music and the fluoridation of water.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Steven Tian and Stephen Henriques, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Getty My dad was a rock ‘n’ roll traveler then, in the way some are food travelers today.
    — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of roll
Verb
  • Sixteen beaches are not recommended for swimming by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
    — Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Children swim as ships are seen anchored in the Strait of Hormuz on August 10, 2026 off the coast of Bandar Abbas, Iran.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of swim
Verb
  • In a women's cooperative in Morocco's High Atlas Mountains, members weave wedding blankets, and at a workshop in Bagru in India, artisans pound block prints onto fabric.
    — Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Novotny recently created the look for Julia Fox, weaving chestnut tones through the deeper base for a soft, lived-in effect.
    — Amanda Le, InStyle, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of weave
Noun
  • Glossy tomatoes on the vine, a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano (party favors), piles of lemons, platters of antipasti, and dishes arriving from friends’ kitchens bring more life and color to a room than anything overly decorative ever could.
    — Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Many marveled at a curled and rusted piece of iron that could have been one of the locomotive's wheels.
    — Brian Bull, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of wheel
Verb
  • The airplane lurched skyward, and Elwood was strapped in for the ride.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Maresca, though, does not appear to have much taste for the Premier League’s lurch towards balls into the box.
    — Sam Lee, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of lurch

Phrases Containing reel

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reeky
reel
reeled
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Cite this Entry

“Reel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reel. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on reel

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about reel

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