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
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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
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Recent Examples of reeling
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2025
Erica Sloan, SELF, 5 Feb. 2026
Republicans are reeling from a shocking loss in a Texas special election.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
Spurs are still reeling and trying to find their feet after a dizzying amount of change at executive level over the last 12 months, which includes the departures of executive chairman Daniel Levy and chief football officer Scott Munn, with the Lewis family reasserting control of daily operations.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Whether these five features will be part of next year’s Oscar conversation is anyone’s guess, but audiences reeling from a particularly brutal winter could certainly do worse than spending an evening with one of them.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 3 Feb. 2026
The double-murder of the beloved couple in Columbus, Ohio, garnered national attention and left their families reeling.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
Of course, the comedy world — or really, anyone with even a passing interest in pop culture and Hollywood — is reeling from the sudden loss of SCTV legend and two-time SNL host Catherine O’Hara.
—Andy Hoglund, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Feb. 2026
Smartly, Kenya Pleaser, still reeling from her bottom-two placement last week, gets in on their alliance.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
Now the reeling Bulldogs hope to get back on track with a home game against a hot Texas A&M basketball team.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 30 Jan. 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
Staying true to this purpose can be a supremely motivating force in the face of stressors that might otherwise knock you down or leave you reeling.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 5 Feb. 2026
Republicans are reeling from a shocking loss in a Texas special election.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
Spurs are still reeling and trying to find their feet after a dizzying amount of change at executive level over the last 12 months, which includes the departures of executive chairman Daniel Levy and chief football officer Scott Munn, with the Lewis family reasserting control of daily operations.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Whether these five features will be part of next year’s Oscar conversation is anyone’s guess, but audiences reeling from a particularly brutal winter could certainly do worse than spending an evening with one of them.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 3 Feb. 2026
The double-murder of the beloved couple in Columbus, Ohio, garnered national attention and left their families reeling.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
Of course, the comedy world — or really, anyone with even a passing interest in pop culture and Hollywood — is reeling from the sudden loss of SCTV legend and two-time SNL host Catherine O’Hara.
—Andy Hoglund, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Feb. 2026
Smartly, Kenya Pleaser, still reeling from her bottom-two placement last week, gets in on their alliance.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
Now the reeling Bulldogs hope to get back on track with a home game against a hot Texas A&M basketball team.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reeling
Adjective
-
As Dracula, Jones is giddy and joyous with flecks of depravity bursting through as the plot expands to include his ethereal bond with Harker’s fiancée, Mina Murray (also Bleu).—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
6 Feb. 2026
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Wishing you a week of dulcet tones, giddy resistance, and a thousand pancakes.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Others of note Right-hander Bryce Meccage is 93-96 with a slider and curveball, spinning everything well, and lacking a real changeup while showing decent control but below-average command.—
Keith Law,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
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The Post has always been accused of ‘misinformation’ by spinning politicians, but from Hunter Biden, BLM and Covid to Biden’s failing health, it has been consistently proven right.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cheng likes to build muni bond ladders, which means staggering the maturity dates of multiple bonds.—
Michelle Fox,
CNBC,
29 Oct. 2025
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To get through the season and the playoffs, staggering the minutes of Green and Horford is logical, even with Quintin Post picking up some center minutes.—
Jannelle Moore,
Mercury News,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But a week before the tour was set to open, Sergei felt dizzy at practice and suddenly lay down on the ice.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
3 Feb. 2026
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Signs of dehydration include dry mouth and throat, infrequent urination and feeling dizzy when standing up.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Natanya complicates her old-school character sketch with cerebral shifts in perspective, affecting each of the voices that accompany a young woman’s drive for success and independence (demanding friends and parents, sexist expectations, her own willpower) in a lurching cascade of melodies.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
13 Jan. 2026
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The midterm blue wave backlash is gathering, with the generic ballot lurching in the Democrats' favor and Trump’s popularity cratering.—
Matt Robison,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The company is in the process of translating its catalog, using AI to analyze the colors, layers and weaving patterns of previous design files.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Feb. 2026
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And now, the Princess of Wales has made a trip to Melin Tregwynt, a historic woollen mill on the Pembrokeshire coast, known mostly for weaving traditional Welsh double-cloth designs.—
Daisy Jones,
Vogue,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reeling. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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