REELED Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

reeled

verb

past tense of reel

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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 Nearby Flint still reeled from the water crisis. — CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026 But only a few moments after chucking a wild runner off the side of the backboard to fall to 0 of 7, Kuminga reeled the Hawks crowd back in with a decisive transition layup over Brandin Podziemski to score his only basket of the night. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for reeled

Verb

In a move first reported by The Athletic, Philadelphia initially reached out to Paul when Gansey and general manager Jameer Nelson spun the trade that brought Jaylen Brown to the Sixers from the Boston Celtics.

— Tony Jones, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Cooper has spun Call Her Daddy’s success into Unwell, an ever-expanding media and lifestyle brand that includes a podcast network, films and TV series, live events, and beverages.

— Kara Nesvig, Time, 14 July 2026

Definition of spun

Verb

In field tests across Lake Geneva, the machine swam through the lake before flapping its wings, breaking the water’s surface, and taking flight into the open air.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 July 2026
And none of us have swam in the ocean the same way since!

— Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 20 June 2026

Definition of swam

Verb

Adams’ shoulders lurched on the bench, while Richards fell to his knees, dug his afro into the grass, and closed his eyes in pain.

— Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 7 July 2026
Initial data indicates both of these earthquakes were strike-slip, Magnani said, meaning one plate lurched past the other along the boundary.

— Evan Bush, NBC news, 25 June 2026

Definition of lurched

Verb

Instead, his shot cleared a shrubby ridge and rolled to the first cut for a short chip.

— Brody Miller, New York Times, 14 July 2026
However, they would then be rolled to the pad by a transporter and then lifted vertically by a crane with a specialized breakover feature.

— Chris Young July 12, New Atlas, 13 July 2026

Definition of rolled

Browse Nearby Words

reel

reeled

reeled off

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Reeled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reeled. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of reeled

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on reeled

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

loquacious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes