as in coward
a person without strength of character
the congresswoman is but a reed who bends whichever way the political winds are blowing
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reed
Water levels had risen higher than expected, leaving the cyclist stranded halfway across the river — clinging to reeds with their bike as the current moved around them.
—
Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
Graziose kept a photo of the quartet in which Griffin looks reed-thin and sports bangs.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
Exhibits over the years have showcased a heady array of musical instruments and equipment, from guitars, pianos, accordions and reed instruments to synthesizers, theremins, foot pedals, a Harpejji (a 24-string cross between a piano and a guitar) and much more.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
At the same time, Utah is working to remove a nonnative reed called phragmites, which is growing on the lake surface and sucking down twice as much water as native plants.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reed
Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
Graziose kept a photo of the quartet in which Griffin looks reed-thin and sports bangs.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
Exhibits over the years have showcased a heady array of musical instruments and equipment, from guitars, pianos, accordions and reed instruments to synthesizers, theremins, foot pedals, a Harpejji (a 24-string cross between a piano and a guitar) and much more.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
At the same time, Utah is working to remove a nonnative reed called phragmites, which is growing on the lake surface and sucking down twice as much water as native plants.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reed
Noun
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These are American cowards that are rooting against our Country.—
Khaled Wassef,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
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And Trump calls ’em almost like cowards.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
The optimization approach focused on creating an asymmetric motion pattern similar to natural jellyfish, where the contraction phase is faster than recovery.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
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They are closely related to jellyfish, but aren't true jellyfish.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Noun
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Since 1980, her partner had been the kindly, worshipful Dutch actor Robert Wolders, whom Ferrer likens to a gentlemanly doormat.—
Hadley Hall Meares,
Vanity Fair,
15 May 2026
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That’s worked out pretty well for Vandy so far, as the Commodores went from Southeastern Conference doormat to playing for a spot in last year’s College Football Playoff.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
8 May 2026
Noun
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At the center of this comedic cat-and-mouse chase was Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, a longtime ally of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has gone from a powerful enforcer of a bloody drug crackdown to a wanted criminal on the run.—
Kathleen Magramo,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
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Jamie Foxx grabbed an action shot with the mouse himself at Disneyland in July 2017.—
Mackenzie Schmidt,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
Noun
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Because George, portrayed by Hugh Jackman, routinely read mysteries to his charges before his sudden demise, these sheep aren’t complete novices, said Wilson Chapman in IndieWire.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
18 May 2026
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Sheep in the Box takes its terrible title from the second chapter in Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince, in which the narrator, frustrated at his drawings of sheep being deemed inadequate by the character of the title, draws a box and says there’s a sheep inside.—
Vulture,
Vulture,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reed. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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