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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in staggers
to move forward while swaying from side to side
got off the amusement park ride reeling and barely able to stand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of reels
Christopher Yang, Forbes.com, 8 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
As Kauser’s family reels from the tragic accident, she’s being remembered as a loving mother.
—Sam Gillette, People.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 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
Noun
During these stories, short reels or live streams, purchases are often completed without ever leaving the platform—a seamless journey from discovery to checkout that takes seconds rather than days.
—Christopher Yang, Forbes.com, 8 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
As Kauser’s family reels from the tragic accident, she’s being remembered as a loving mother.
—Sam Gillette, People.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
As Minneapolis reels from the shooting, officials are combing through Westman’s rambling writings – which the shooter shared in YouTube videos timed to go online around the same time as the attack – to search for a motive.
—Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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The agency staggers payments across the month to manage the large volume of recipients.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Canales likely doesn’t want to cause an issue, especially this early in the season, by mandating how the defensive play-caller handles his various rotations and depth chart.—
Mike Kaye
September 10,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
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Airlines warn that the disruption could cascade throughout the day, affecting connections and aircraft rotations across Europe.—
Amanda Castro
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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Remove the sides of the pan, transfer rolls to a plate and sprinkle with cilantro.—
Bethany Thayer,
Freep.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Tintinnabuli was inspired, in part, by Pärt’s interest in much earlier styles of Christian music, including Gregorian chant – the single-voice singing of Roman Catholicism – and Renaissance polyphony, which weaves together multiple melodic lines.—
Jeffers Engelhardt,
The Conversation,
10 Sep. 2025
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On Water Expeditions The Hooghly River weaves through the Indian state of West Bengal from the Ganges, its parent river, to the sea, through a landscape lined with mustard fields and mango orchards.—
Bailey Berg,
AFAR Media,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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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With Noni Madueke doubled up on out wide, Zubimendi shuffles backwards to receive the pass, and then fires a pass into Martin Odegaard, breaking the first two lines of the opposition’s 4-4-2 defensive block.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reels. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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