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
Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 3 Apr. 2026
Family, friends reeling from loss In a note about the tragedy, Metayer Bowen’s family reflected on her role as a daughter, aunt and friend.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
Charlie, although more sympathetic, is left reeling, and Pattinson, always at his best when his matinée-idol looks surrender to warpings of fear and anxiety, conducts a virtuosic symphony of shifting moods.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2026
Oil exports have jumped since Washington ousted its former president in January and lifted restrictions on the sector, reeling from years of mismanagement and underinvestment.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 2 Apr. 2026
The entertainment world has been reeling from the Mills news this week, which came out the blue, blindsiding his colleagues and listeners.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026
Afghanistan is also still reeling from an apparent Pakistani airstrike on a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul on March 16.
—Marin Scott, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026
As police continue to investigate, Dransfield’s family and friends are reeling from her shocking murder.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
Many community members were left reeling after the allegations.
—Laura Turbay, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 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
Netflix’s horror hit Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen wrapped its eight-episode run with a finale that left viewers reeling — and quietly cracked open a door for more.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 3 Apr. 2026
Family, friends reeling from loss In a note about the tragedy, Metayer Bowen’s family reflected on her role as a daughter, aunt and friend.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
Charlie, although more sympathetic, is left reeling, and Pattinson, always at his best when his matinée-idol looks surrender to warpings of fear and anxiety, conducts a virtuosic symphony of shifting moods.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2026
Oil exports have jumped since Washington ousted its former president in January and lifted restrictions on the sector, reeling from years of mismanagement and underinvestment.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 2 Apr. 2026
The entertainment world has been reeling from the Mills news this week, which came out the blue, blindsiding his colleagues and listeners.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026
Afghanistan is also still reeling from an apparent Pakistani airstrike on a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul on March 16.
—Marin Scott, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026
As police continue to investigate, Dransfield’s family and friends are reeling from her shocking murder.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
Many community members were left reeling after the allegations.
—Laura Turbay, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reeling
Adjective
-
Lanzone, 55, finally got his chance after the private equity firm Apollo Global Management paid $5 billion to take over Yahoo in September 2021 — a fraction of its peak $125 billion market value reached during the dot-com boom’s giddy days in early 2000.—
Michael Liedtke,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The Braves have every reason to feel giddy about their latest Sale investment.—
Gabriel Burns,
AJC.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
It was recently formalized in a contract that provides continued access to NWI’s melt-spinning equipment and advanced processing facilities.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Footwear News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Keef spinning his designer wheels and only occasionally touching road.—
Dylan Green,
Pitchfork,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Instead of staggering the fests and conferences over nine or 11 days, everything is now crammed into the same seven-day period, including film and TV, education, comedy and tech.—
Thor Christensen,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Add additional rows of blocks, staggering them over the previous layer and using construction adhesive between rows.—
Daniel Modlin,
Architectural Digest,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Luna is in your distracted 3rd house, sparring with spitfire Mars in your dizzy 12th house.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Symptoms include decreased urination, dry mouth and throat, feeling dizzy when standing up, crying with few or no tears, and unusual sleepiness or fussiness.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Still, morale is much worse compared with December 2024, before DOGE took aim at the health agency's budgets and staffing, and before rounds of lurching job cuts and reinstatements left thousands of CDC workers in limbo or severed from their careers.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
25 Mar. 2026
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There are plenty of differences, but the stability Atleti have fostered in sticking with Simeone stands in stark contrast to Spurs’ habit of lurching between managers, styles and approaches.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 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
-
In Foini village the Dio Dio Collective organizes chair-weaving workshops, part of efforts to document and revive the island's furniture-making heritage.—
Selina Denman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
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His sympathetic patter also gives Guirgis an opportunity to start weaving in the character’s politics.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reeling. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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