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
Medora Lee, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
In a borough still reeling from the fires and economic devastation of the Seventies, that mattered.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, Duke was reeling from distance, making only two of its 15 3-point attempts.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
The strikes sent shockwaves across the global energy market, which was already reeling from the consequences of Iran's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit of the world's oil supply.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 19 Mar. 2026
Ali Larijani's death, which was confirmed by Iranian authorities, deals a significant psychological and logistical blow to the Islamic Republic, already reeling from the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, whose successor son has yet to appear in public.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 18 Mar. 2026
That’s bad news for consumers, a large percentage of whom are still reeling from the impact of four years of higher prices.
—Jill Schlesinger, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
And the fan base is still reeling from a trade deadline that saw shooting guard Jared McCain dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
—Tony Jones, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Attention is immediately centered on Jordan Ngatikaura, who is still reeling from the affair his wife Jessi Draper had with Vanderpump castmember Marciano Brunette, who himself, off camera, is navigating a legal battle with fellow Mormon Wife Demi Engemann.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 12 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
Stocks are reeling as the Strait of Hormuz remains essentially shut amid the war with Iran.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
In a borough still reeling from the fires and economic devastation of the Seventies, that mattered.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, Duke was reeling from distance, making only two of its 15 3-point attempts.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
The strikes sent shockwaves across the global energy market, which was already reeling from the consequences of Iran's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit of the world's oil supply.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 19 Mar. 2026
Ali Larijani's death, which was confirmed by Iranian authorities, deals a significant psychological and logistical blow to the Islamic Republic, already reeling from the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, whose successor son has yet to appear in public.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 18 Mar. 2026
That’s bad news for consumers, a large percentage of whom are still reeling from the impact of four years of higher prices.
—Jill Schlesinger, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
And the fan base is still reeling from a trade deadline that saw shooting guard Jared McCain dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
—Tony Jones, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Attention is immediately centered on Jordan Ngatikaura, who is still reeling from the affair his wife Jessi Draper had with Vanderpump castmember Marciano Brunette, who himself, off camera, is navigating a legal battle with fellow Mormon Wife Demi Engemann.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reeling
Adjective
-
Astronomers are also giddy about Comet MAPS’ size, as larger snowballs are often likelier to withstand their closest approach to the sun, known as perihelion.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Outside,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Rogers sets the tone and the pace, and the rest of the cast — especially Elizabeth Stahlmann as Berenger’s work colleague and potential love interest Daisy — are adept at learning his distinct voice and physical language and answering him back in a similarly loose, giddy style.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The artist who goes only by the mononym Naoshi is a master at spinning tiny grains of sand into something grand.—
Leigh-Ann Jackson,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
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With this slackline, both ends were attached to balloons and moved up and down, side to side, while spinning.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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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
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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
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The film unfolds on an elite engineering campus, weaving together zombie horror, youth comedy and social satire.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
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The voice of Cuban singer Amaury Gutiérrez added a melodic thread, weaving nostalgia and pride into the atmosphere.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reeling. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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