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
When Jackass Forever came out in 2022, the world was still reeling from the effects of the pandemic, which surely affected its box office. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 26 June 2026 Derek Hill robbed Juan Soto of a two-run homer with a spectacular catch that helped Zack Wheeler and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the reeling New York Mets 2-1 on Friday night. CBS News, 26 June 2026 Haitians in South Florida are reeling with uncertainty about what the future will look like for them without the protections and vulnerable to being forced to return to a country with gang violence, widespread hunger and political instability. Vera Lucia Pappaterra, Miami Herald, 26 June 2026 The Venezuelan Red Cross has said urgent medical care including trauma care and psychological support are needed as residents are reeling from the tragedy. Uriel Blanco, CNN Money, 26 June 2026 Set in Astraea, a bioluminescent city that worships the stars, Florescentia follows Lucia Fairfax, an inventor and occultist reeling from the loss of her husband due to one of her rituals. Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026 Fergie’s family, like so many at the time, were reeling from a hurricane that ravaged the island four weeks earlier on its way to slam into Galveston, Texas. Literary Hub, 16 June 2026 Ten years ago, Orlando was already reeling from a weekend of horror, the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub that left 49 dead, which happened one night after the shooting death of singer Christina Grimmie at a concert. Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 June 2026 Anglers are reeling with joy as massive yellowtails showed up just a few miles off the Orange County coast recently, a rare sight close to shore. Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 13 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reeling
Adjective
  • And then there are the uptempo perennials that made Highland, California the giddiest place on earth.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 19 June 2026
  • Alpha Camp − Nikki Hru, Maddy Jones, Leiya Pillitteri − had seemed giddy with confidence before the flaming arrow competition.
    Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 17 June 2026
Verb
  • Just like in the teaser, there are several nods to the magical world from the original film from self-spinning spoons to umbrella dives off a roof, and of course, midnight margaritas.
    Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2026
  • Common illusions at sea include ships appearing as spinning in circles or sailing on land, posing dangers to commercial maritime vessels trying to navigate.
    Zita Ballinger Fletcher, Forbes.com, 23 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
  • Then came illness on a boiling-hot day, which left him dizzy and depleted of energy.
    Ava Wallace, New York Times, 8 June 2026
  • During the day's exploring, employ the buddy system and look out for signs of heat illness like feeling dizzy, experiencing nausea or muscle cramps and sweating with cool and clammy skin.
    ABC News, ABC News, 8 June 2026
Verb
  • The old guard of the Democratic Party suffered another body blow when three socialist congressional candidates in New York with anti-Israel platforms swept to victory, lurching the party even further to the left.
    Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 25 June 2026
  • When Colombia heads to the polls June 21, the region will be watching to see if the nation joins the right-wing surge across Latin America, with Chile, Honduras, and Costa Rica lurching to the political right over the past year.
    Manuel Rueda, Christian Science Monitor, 20 June 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
  • Around 30 Maple Park Middle School students spent the last few weeks of the summer term weaving English language arts and STEM skills together to research the international soccer teams with base camps in Kansas City and create animatronics based on their findings.
    Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 25 June 2026
  • Some thirty years after weaving Replica, Schultz set to work on a rug based on the 9040 processor made at the Shiprock plant.
    Lua Vollaard, ARTnews.com, 24 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Reeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reeling. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.

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