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
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Recent Examples of reeling
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2025
Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
With the nation still reeling, details about victims are trickling out and the world is gradually getting a clearer picture of the violence used to suppress the nationwide demonstrations.
—Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
The community of Tumbler Ridge, which has a population of about 2,400 people, is reeling and working together to support those immediately affected by the shootings.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 12 Feb. 2026
According to an online fundraiser organized through GoFundMe, the cost of cancer treatment also left Van Der Beek and his loved ones reeling.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 12 Feb. 2026
The Horned Frogs were reeling, down 28-19 with less than four minutes remaining, when Robinson sparked a 10-2 run that changed the direction of the game.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Feb. 2026
Many are still reeling from it.
—Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
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
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
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
The story is driven by siblings Codi (10) and Vera (15), still reeling one year after their mother Loren vanishes during a mysterious accident at her hi-tech lab.
—Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
With the nation still reeling, details about victims are trickling out and the world is gradually getting a clearer picture of the violence used to suppress the nationwide demonstrations.
—Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
The community of Tumbler Ridge, which has a population of about 2,400 people, is reeling and working together to support those immediately affected by the shootings.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 12 Feb. 2026
According to an online fundraiser organized through GoFundMe, the cost of cancer treatment also left Van Der Beek and his loved ones reeling.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 12 Feb. 2026
The Horned Frogs were reeling, down 28-19 with less than four minutes remaining, when Robinson sparked a 10-2 run that changed the direction of the game.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Feb. 2026
Many are still reeling from it.
—Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
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
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
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
-
For her winning run, Gremaud, a 26-year-old who has last year’s world championship title to go with her two Olympic golds, skied backward, then flipped twice while spinning once and nailed the landing.—
Eddie Pells,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Patagonia’s proprietary synthetic fill imitates down’s structure by spinning air-trapping microfilaments around a central fiber and requires fewer stabilizing seams and baffles than down.—
Kelly Bastone,
Outside,
10 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
-
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
-
That would be Gran Canaria, introduced in the film’s dizzy opening shot.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2026
-
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
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 16 Feb. 2026.
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