REELS Synonyms: 62 Similar and Opposite Words

reels 1 of 2

noun

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

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

as in staggers

to move forward while swaying from side to side got off the amusement park ride reeling and barely able to stand

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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

Mohanad Yaqubi’s Revolutionaries Never Die, taking its cue from 113 reels of films preserved by Lebanese filmmaker Jocelyne Saab, will also compete. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026 Suddenly Hammer sat within a framework of entities — formally announced as John Gore Studios in early 2025 — that could give its dusty reels a makeover and get them out into the open. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026 So long ago, too, that maybe some highlight reels had been put together. — Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026 Will there be a long touchdown or two that will make the highlight reels this year? — Gary Davenport, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Novig also posted an ad on its Instagram reels, which has racked up 37 million views in four days. — Jack Guy, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026 The edit intercuts old film reels, both archival B-roll and seeming home movies, to hint at how all these new stimuli jog Brooke’s memory. — Marshall Shaffer, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026 Now the 36-year-old New York representative has embraced the attention in order to change that narrative, posting a series of Instagram reels documenting her egg-freezing journey and demystifying this fast-growing type of reproductive care. — Elizabeth Gregory, Washington Post, 4 Sep. 2026 Plenty of photos and reels come from moving-up ceremonies, sports banquets, and firsts. — Sarah Scott, Parents, 4 Sep. 2026

Verb

As the campus community reels from the news, there’s been an outpouring of support from fellow students. — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026 In other words, OpenAI needs a competent team of AI ethicists now than ever before as the industry reels from the possibility of frontier AI models going rogue, in what many experts say is a cybersecurity nightmare in the making. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 12 Aug. 2026 As Venezuela reels from twin quakes that killed more than 2,295 people, acting leader Delcy Rodríguez mounts her first defense of the response. — Regina Garcia Cano, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026 This wrenches the chromosomes apart into two sets and reels them to opposite ends of the cytoplasm sea. — Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 29 June 2026 After Saturday night’s shooting that left two dead, neighbors are voicing their frustrations — and fears — as the community reels from another shooting that has left two more teenagers dead. — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 28 June 2026 There’s a lot to digest as the hockey world reels from the stunning Dylan Larkin news that came out Thursday, his trade request putting the Detroit Red Wings in an unenviable spot. — Pierre Lebrun, New York Times, 5 June 2026 As America reels from 9/11, something resonates within Franny and an unexpected tenderness begins to bloom. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 13 May 2026 As Hawaii reels from some of the worst flooding to hit the region in decades, one good Samaritan is taking to the waterways to paddle pets left behind to safety. — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for reels

Noun

Designed for ranch work and rugged driving, the Terra pickup features green paint, 37-inch tires on 18-inch wheels, heavy-duty side steps, a front bull bar, a roof basket with lights, and expanded cargo-bed storage.

— Chase Jordan October 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 Oct. 2026
Link launched on July 3 but quickly ran into electronic problems that took out two of the three reaction wheels needed to turn the spacecraft.

— Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of wheels

Verb

Spend an evening in Pilsen shopping 50 or so artists and makers as DJ Johnny Walker spins tunes.

— Jennifer Day, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026
The seats are on the side of the track, allowing riders’ feet to dangle below or above them as their seat spins forward or backward.

— Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of spins

Verb

Steely and deliberate songwriting that casually staggers down the line between rhythm and melody, laced with loose yet conscious jams.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 June 2026
Like many Florida school districts, OCPS staggers start times to most efficiently use its school buses and drivers.

— Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026

Definition of staggers

Noun

Officers are sent to this remote station on rotations of two or three months, with fresh water and food delivered weekly by trucks that make a five-hour journey across dusty desert roads.

— Nathan Jaccard, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
The Guardians have one of the best rotations in the postseason tournament, even if their starters aren’t as well known as some of the others playing in October, and Cade Smith in the later innings.

— The Athletic MLB Staff, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of rotations

Verb

The alternative is a region that lurches from crisis to crisis, and from one extreme to another.

— DAN RESTREPO, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026
With a cigarette dangling from her lips, ashes and curse words ever ready to fall, Angela lurches around the house critical of everything and everyone.

— Jay Weissberg, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of lurches

Verb

The village's pedestrian-only strip weaves through small shops, restaurants, and boutiques, and there's a Naval Museum housed in a 19th-century captain’s mansion that highlights the island’s maritime history—and is worth a visit.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
In the park, the designers combined four species of flowers with broken pieces of local pottery to form a polychromatic mosaic that weaves together vegetation and craft.

— Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of weaves

Noun

Makar tested out his skating with some twirls at the end of the first and returned for the second.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 May 2026
The unconscious Moon twirls into your 12th House of Whispers, inviting gentle reflection and rest that helps your inner world reorganize.

— Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2026

Definition of twirls

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reel off

reels

reels off

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“Reels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reels. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of reels

noun

verb

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