reeling 1 of 2

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reeling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of reel
1
as in spinning
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

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 reeling
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
Nashville was left reeling by a Messi hat trick in the regular season finale, while Miami also has bragging rights over Nashville after their 2023 Leagues Cup final thriller. Avi Creditor, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025 While Penn State may have been reeling because of its two previous losses, Northwestern had no problem taking advantage. Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025 The Niners’ defense is reeling, and the offense is sputtering. Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 18 Oct. 2025 And the community of Evergreen — a place where Peluso and Martinez and many more moved to for a quiet mountain paradise to raise a family — is still reeling. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 18 Oct. 2025 The deadly explosion in the Season 21 finale of Grey’s Anatomy left all of the doctors at Grey Sloan reeling. Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025 The music world is reeling from the devastating news early Tuesday afternoon that soul legend D’Angelo died at age 51 following a battle with cancer. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025 Iowa State was upset by a Colorado team that was reeling, and the Cyclones just don’t appear to be the same team without their two star cornerbacks. Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2025 The explosion forced a one-mile radius evacuation and left residents reeling from even farther away. Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reeling
Adjective
  • Apple’s stock is giddier than an 11-year-old who just strong-armed their parents into buying them a smartphone.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Others just get giddy having a green light to upend society’s rules of decorum, even for a short window of time.
    John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Vertigo takes passengers several feet high in the air, spinning riders on swings at the top.
    Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Turns out his co-workers were more focused on crunching numbers than spinning tracks.
    Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Cleaning can be an overwhelming task, so consider staggering your projects.
    Cody Godwin, USA Today, 19 Oct. 2025
  • That statistic would be staggering regardless of how long AI has been part of the economy, but this is just the start.
    Staff, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Symptoms can include vomiting more than three times a day, feeling constantly dizzy and lightheaded and losing weight.
    Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Traditionally, Sean Payton’s teams deploy a revolving personnel carousel that can leave opposing defensive coordinators dizzy.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The mood is lurching between calm and doom-mongering chaos.
    Carl Anka, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
  • The administration’s lurching one way and another with tariffs is another example.
    Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Chef Xavier Deshayes creates traditional dishes inspired by the region, weaving in produce from local growers and his own personal farm in the Virginia countryside.
    Heather Bien, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2025
  • The house was so distinctive that Armstrong adapted his script to fit it, weaving in elements like its bowling alley to shape both the narrative and the characters’ world.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 19 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Reeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reeling. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

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