reeled

verb

past tense of reel
1
as in spun
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 reeled As the family reeled from the loss, Doug made his daughter his top priority. — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2026 In 1995-96, Newcastle tore into the lead at the top of the division and although Manchester United reeled them in, relentless and unforgiving, the drama was human. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 21 July 2026 Once the squid gather near the surface, lines fitted with bait are lowered into the water and rapidly jerked up and down to imitate small prey such as shrimp, triggering strikes before the catch is reeled aboard. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 20 June 2026 Derulo reeled backward after his foot gave way on the step below, sending him tumbling to the ground. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 9 June 2026 But Ohtani reeled himself back in to face the top of the order. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026 In 2021, more than 43% of voters supported disbanding the department as the city reeled from Floyd’s killing and the massive protests and widespread rioting that followed. — ABC News, 28 May 2026 As the airline industry reeled and competitors quickly began furloughing employees, Southwest’s leadership gathered in their Dallas boardroom. — The Oklahoman, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026 These direct relationships of mutual candor and trust have been vital in delivering wins for the state where others reeled. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reeled
  1. spun
  2. staggered
  3. swam
  4. lurched
  5. rolled
Verb
  • Naima was a Muslim convert who likely spun Coltrane’s compass toward non-Western cultures.
    — Ian Penman, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • And the autoscaler, doing exactly what it was told, spun up more GPUs to handle it.
    — Srikanta Datta, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of spun
Verb
  • The political crisis has meant that legislative elections, originally scheduled for July 27, have now been staggered into three separate days over a period of two weeks.
    — Hasan Ali, Christian Science Monitor, 26 July 2026
  • The American staggered out of the gates at Royal Portrush last year to an opening 78, but played the final three rounds in a blazing 16-under-par.
    — Justin Ray, New York Times, 18 July 2026
Definition of staggered
Verb
  • The 25-year-old man from Kansas City’s Northland swam away from the shore, according to the report.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 2 Aug. 2026
  • More to the point, nearly all of those who swam over the border had returned to Morocco by Sunday morning.
    — Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of swam
Verb
  • For example, New York endured weather whiplash on July 18 as the city lurched from a heat wave and smoke pollution from Canadian wildfires to flash flooding from slow-moving thunderstorms that dumped a few inches of rain in a short period of time.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
  • There are vivid characters—the rich, distinguished crook Brandon, the platinum-blond secretary Miss Vermilyea; Javonen, ex-military intelligence, and seedy private eye from Kansas, Noble, who might have lurched out of an early Graham Greene story.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
Definition of lurched
Verb
  • Production would run through 1973, during which time 763 examples had rolled off the line.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The drum rolled, and a green ball of light with the number 5 appeared beside it.
    — Paige Williams, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of rolled

Browse Nearby Words

reel
reeled
reeled off
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Cite this Entry

“Reeled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reeled. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on reeled

Nglish: Translation of reeled for Spanish Speakers

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