heel 1 of 2

noun

ˈhēl How to pronounce heel (audio)
Definition of heelnext
as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others felt like a heel when she found out that she'd blamed the wrong person

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

heel

2 of 2

verb

as in to slope
to set or cause to be at an angle the strong gust heeled the sailboat almost to the point of capsizing, but we managed to right it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 heel
Noun
The producer price report comes on the heels of the latest consumer price index released Wednesday that also came in hotter than expected. — Sarah Min,sawdah Bhaimiya,sean Conlon, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026 Not Kohr Brothers frozen custard or saltwater taffy or watching Dorothy clicky her ruby heels in The Wizard of Oz. — Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026 Young also could pull the ultimate heel turn and sign with the New York Liberty, fortifying their perimeter rotation. — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026 Potts also helped Marshall fix his running form, running on the balls of his feet instead of his heels. — Pj Green october 14, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for heel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heel
  1. jerk
  2. slope
  3. dog
  4. tilt
  5. clown
  6. angle
  7. snake
  8. skunk
Noun
  • From award-winning jerk pork wraps to classic rice and peas, every bite celebrates our heritage.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Bella’s childhood friend Angus (Jake Simmance), a corporate jerk, condescendingly probes Johnny about his career.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of jerk
Verb
  • Any normal mattress would’ve been an improvement over our current one, a sub-$300 queen-size nightmare of sloping sides and too-springy springs.
    — Jaklin Romine Oct. 15, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The brush was flattened and rivulets of water ran back toward the sound, which was now miraculously some 100 yards away down a sloping bank.
    — Gerald R. Hunter, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of slope
Noun
  • Which dog breeds tend to live the longest If longevity is the priority, a handful of smaller breeds routinely post the longest lifespans, according to breed data compiled by Reader’s Digest.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Much has been made of Winter’s idiosyncratic star power, and as an extremely tall, wet-dog-handsome instrumental virtuoso with a one-of-a-kind voice and just enough self-aware wit and lacerating lyricism to keep it relatable, that’s indisputable.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of dog
Verb
  • Technological dominance has been tilting toward Moscow of late, exposing Ukraine’s vulnerability to Russia’s relentlessly modernizing war machine.
    — Gerard Toal, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But even those examples fall far short of the sort of figures that would tilt the scales in any outcomes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of tilt
Noun
  • When asked about his most Mary-like quality, Yang pointed to the duality of the clown.
    — Alex Jhamb Burns, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Jean pays tribute to the oversized trousers worn by rodeo clowns.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of clown
Verb
  • The free-agent signing who is angling for a starting position has played a team-high 97 minutes in four preseason games.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • As seen in a video shared on social media, when Prince William held out a phone to take a selfie, the well-wisher reached out to angle his arm up so the photo could be taken from a higher angle.
    — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of angle
Noun
  • To do this, the team of researchers used fossils and knowledge of mosasaurs' most recent living relatives – snakes and lizards like the komodo dragon – to recreate the hunting behavior of mosasaurs.
    — October 16, NPR, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The river is a dark brown snake in the distance, with patterns and colors exploding on either side.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of snake
Noun
  • Officials say the last animal confirmed to have rabies that wasn’t a bat was a skunk infected with the bat strain of rabies in Long Beach in 2014.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • And coyotes regulate populations of mesocarnivores like skunks and raccoons, helping support the survival of ground-nesting birds.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of skunk

Phrases Containing heel

Browse Nearby Words

hee-haws
heel
heeled
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Cite this Entry

“Heel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heel. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on heel

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about heel

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