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
Ancient Egyptians fought the heat by dousing reed mats or curtains in water and then hanging them in their doorways and windows.
—
Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 July 2024
In some areas, the once-dominant reeds have shrunk from covering 80 percent of the region in 2012 to just 25 percent in 2022, according to a study published in Nature Communications.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Take one end of the rattan sticks or bamboo skewers and immerse them in the solution, allowing the reeds to soak up the mixture.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 6 Oct. 2024
Finally, the builders attached the reed bundles to the internal wooden frames and coated them in bitumen, a viscous liquid made from crude oil that helped waterproof the vessel.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for reed 
Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 July 2024
In some areas, the once-dominant reeds have shrunk from covering 80 percent of the region in 2012 to just 25 percent in 2022, according to a study published in Nature Communications.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Take one end of the rattan sticks or bamboo skewers and immerse them in the solution, allowing the reeds to soak up the mixture.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 6 Oct. 2024
Finally, the builders attached the reed bundles to the internal wooden frames and coated them in bitumen, a viscous liquid made from crude oil that helped waterproof the vessel.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for reed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reed
Noun
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McGee, Knight, and Torres step onto the Elevator of Schemes and Secrets full of speculation, like why is LaRoche interested in scoring political points with this case, and what kind of coward hides behind a fake name anyway?—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
17 Dec. 2024
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This sick, twisted and evil coward showed no regard for Laken or human life.—
Audrey Conklin,
Fox News,
21 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Then came a clip of me, snorkeling alongside tens of thousands of (non-stinging) golden jellyfish in a lake on Mecherchar Island.—
Jennifer Billock,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Jan. 2025
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Zuckerberg blasts Biden admin on Joe Rogan; Dave Portnoy calls CEO ‘spineless jellyfish’ Robby Soave and Lynda Tran react to Mark Zuckerberg’s appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.—
The Hill,
The Hill,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Detroit’s Cunningham: The former No. 1 overall pick stands at the epicenter of the Pistons’ jump from 14-68 doormats a year ago to sixth in the East at 23-21.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
25 Jan. 2025
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Outdoor welcome mat: on sale for $24.98 Original price: $34.99 (Amazon) Get rid of old doormats and replace them with a dirt-trapping outdoor welcome mat.—
Nora Colomer,
Fox News,
8 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Indeed, overgrowing mutant clones in mice have been seen to revert to normal growth, as Jones and a co-author describe in the 2023 Annual Review of Cancer Biology.—
Amber Dance,
Smithsonian Magazine,
17 Jan. 2025
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One shot in the trailer shows the Switch 2's Joy-Cons being dragged across a surface like a computer mouse, lending credence to rumors of them including an optical sensor.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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In the first, a mayor placed them in the park to keep the grass trimmed (alongside some sheep, now gone).—
Gary Shteyngart,
The New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2025
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But that moment of enjoyment is only a brief, illusory respite from Ahmet’s laborious responsibilities herding sheep and caring for his kid brother Naim (Agush Agushev), the picture of innocence and adorableness, who hasn’t spoken since their mother died.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
25 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near reed
Cite this Entry
“Reed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reed. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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