reels 1 of 2

plural of reel
as in wheels
a rapid turning about on an axis or central point she slipped and, after an out-of-control reel, fell on her backside

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reels

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of reel
1
as in spins
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 reels
Noun
From TikTok clips to Instagram reels and YouTube, fans are dissecting every romantic entanglement in the show. Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025 Everything abstract or difficult was carved into quick summaries, punchy headlines, 30-second reels. Big Think, 10 Sep. 2025 A little more than two decades later, roughly two years into his big-league career, Rafaela’s own eye-popping defense has already been a part of countless highlight reels. Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025 Everyone shows their highlight reels on social media. Will Carless, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025 This First House will have a focus on affordable homes and projects and episodes will feature more tech-centric visuals including Instagram reels and TikTok-style content as well as vertical videos and video conferencing. Peter White, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025 With lots of hefty dialogue and basically one indoor location, Ozon’s movie loses some momentum during those theatrical closing reels, although the performances help to keep the energy level high. Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025 Solomon Nesakumar, additional commissioner of police in Kolkata, told NPR that crowd control is always difficult and becomes even more challenging when people stop to take selfies or their close cousin, video reels to post on Instagram and other platforms. Kamala Thiagarajan, NPR, 31 Aug. 2025 Lubeck took engraving classes, created her own pieces, and, like a true Millennial, made reels showing them off. Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
The trial starts at a time when the nation reels from another assassination, the one of conservative activist, Charlie Kirk. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025 His comments come as South Korea reels from the raids – one of the largest by US immigration enforcement agencies in recent years, and which threatens to create a rift between two close partners that have long cooperated on military and economic matters. Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025 As for what a Glee reboot would look like, the mind reels. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025 But while storms remain unpredictable, this year may see abnormally dry conditions persist into September, as the state still reels from a series of devastating wildfires last year that led to the death of a Wethersfield firefighter. Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 17 Aug. 2025 Meanwhile, desserts such as Hawaiian butter mochi and Indonesian cenil captivate a new generation of pastry chefs with TikToks and reels awash with jiggles, squishes, and bounces. Cathy Erway, Saveur, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reels
Noun
  • Maybach’s steering wheel is massively proportioned, a big hoop, reminding of wheels in my 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s luxury cars.
    Mark Ewing, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Ride a Bike Enjoy the best of Grand Teton’s fall foliage on two wheels instead of four.
    Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Venus spins very slowly on its axis, and one day there is equivalent to 116 Earth days, or nearly four months.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
  • An inner radiative zone (makes up 70 percent of the Sun by radius), where energy flows smoothly and the whole region spins together like a solid ball, and the outer convective zone (the remaining 30 percent), where hot gases swirl chaotically and spin at different speeds depending on location.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Make the most of the shoulder seasons Almost all schools in England enjoy the long summer break at the same time (unlike in Scotland, which staggers its school vacation time for each region).
    Lottie Gross, AFAR Media, 29 Aug. 2025
  • The agency staggers payments across the month to manage the large volume of recipients.
    Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The Philadelphia Phillies have locked in a playoff berth for the fourth straight year thanks in large part to one of the sport's best starting rotations.
    Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
  • During the two weeks, Strandwitz rotated through clinical rotations.
    Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • That film begins with charismatic bank robber Ryan Gosling in a thrilling motorcycle escape from the cops, and moves through several twists and turns, lurches forward in time, and holds Gosling at its heart as a man doing bad things for good reasons.
    Joe Reid, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • But another war brought another major change, albeit indirectly; in 1944 Congress created the standard deduction, eager to make life easier for the millions of new taxpayers added to the rolls during World War II.
    Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Remove the sides of the pan, transfer rolls to a plate and sprinkle with cilantro.
    Bethany Thayer, Freep.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Despite its dark themes, El Dentista also weaves in romance through Nolasco's relationship with Sofía, a brilliant chemist played by Camila Sodi.
    Veronica Villafañe, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Our brains are one part of an entire nervous system that weaves throughout our bodies.
    Kevin Dickinson, Big Think, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Gakpo is deeper, and Wirtz pushes forward as the central member of Liverpool’s forward line, while Ekitike shuffles across as the left of the trio.
    Mark Carey, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Because global air travel shuffles millions of people around the world daily, an outbreak of a very contagious disease anywhere can become a threat everywhere.
    Amy E. Stambach, The Conversation, 12 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Reels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reels. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

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