as in giddy
having a feeling of being whirled about and in danger of falling down
the blood donor experienced a reeling sensation after standing up too quickly
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in staggering
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
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Recent Examples of reeling
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2025
ABC News, 28 May 2026
When Rob Base died on May 22 following a private battle with lung cancer, Young MC was left reeling.
—Kyle Eustice, VIBE.com, 28 May 2026
Waldorf settled into a small hospital room, her husband glued to the vinyl couch beside her, both reeling from the impending loss of what would have been their second daughter.
—Kavitha Surana, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
Lebanon is still reeling from cycles of conflict and insecurity.
—Kelly Razzouk, Time, 27 May 2026
Roots said the city is reeling.
—Joe Brandt, CBS News, 27 May 2026
And Oceguera wants his presence to be felt outside the restaurant in a changing neighborhood still reeling from Operation Midway Blitz.
—Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2026
Waldorf settled into a small hospital room, her husband glued to the vinyl couch beside her, both reeling from the impending loss of what would have been their second daughter.
—Kavitha Surana, ProPublica, 26 May 2026
It’s been clear to anyone watching this series that Colorado has been shockingly fragile, reeling at the slightest pushback by the Golden Knights.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 26 May 2026
Adjective
Even if Lee were sober and thinking straight, her alluring, blows-hot-and-cold Betty Jo would be impossible for a guy like Lee — reckless, reeling, distractible — to resist.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
Tucked in the northeastern part of Congo close to the Ugandan border, Ituri province has been reeling from attacks by the Allied Democratic Force, a rebel group allied with the Islamic State group, and a coalition of ethnic militias.
—ABC News, 28 May 2026
When Rob Base died on May 22 following a private battle with lung cancer, Young MC was left reeling.
—Kyle Eustice, VIBE.com, 28 May 2026
Waldorf settled into a small hospital room, her husband glued to the vinyl couch beside her, both reeling from the impending loss of what would have been their second daughter.
—Kavitha Surana, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
Lebanon is still reeling from cycles of conflict and insecurity.
—Kelly Razzouk, Time, 27 May 2026
Roots said the city is reeling.
—Joe Brandt, CBS News, 27 May 2026
And Oceguera wants his presence to be felt outside the restaurant in a changing neighborhood still reeling from Operation Midway Blitz.
—Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2026
Waldorf settled into a small hospital room, her husband glued to the vinyl couch beside her, both reeling from the impending loss of what would have been their second daughter.
—Kavitha Surana, ProPublica, 26 May 2026
It’s been clear to anyone watching this series that Colorado has been shockingly fragile, reeling at the slightest pushback by the Golden Knights.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reeling
Adjective
-
Her work is spirited, even downright giddy.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
Santa conducted a giddy postgame interview on the team’s television broadcast before descending the stairs into the clubhouse.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
The prototype was integrated with low-loss superconducting windings, a novel brushless starting mechanism, and internal cryogenic cooling that functions while spinning.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
-
On one side of the ball, the spinning surface moves in the same direction as the airflow, causing an increase in air velocity.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
The works depicted broken figures staggering toward the viewer in ragged uniforms — in distorted sizes, giant hands and small heads.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
The works depicted broken figures staggering toward the viewer in ragged uniforms — in distorted sizes, giant hand and small heads.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
However, from such dizzy heights, the fall from grace has been dramatic.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
Some adolescents may appear dizzy, disoriented or unusually fatigued.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
These are some of the heaviest grooves that Seefeel have created in ages, channeling lurching currents through intricate chains of dub delay.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
6 May 2026
-
The ladies haven’t had that problem, lurching out of the gate like the racehorses at Ascot.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
The magnetar was initially surrounded by a whirling disk of matter, funneling from its inner edge onto the stellar remnant.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Brith, who is ahead and in charge, is taking as her guide the stream, which sparks in the sunlight, cutting a narrow channel through the hillside, weaving itself around rocks and tree trunks, appearing and disappearing, diving underground then springing up in unexpected places.—
Maggie O’Farrell,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
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The latter can seem more like a game of dodgeball with bikes weaving in and out of your path.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reeling. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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