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

Tu Duu-chih, who handled the film’s original sound mix, returned to help restore the Taiwanese soundtrack from six primary audio reels. — Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026 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 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

The vehicle then rotated in midair and landed back on its wheels.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Other times, a bike maker can slap on a new paint job, a different set of wheels and a cushier seat, and somehow end up with a bike that sells like hotcakes.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of wheels

Verb

The Roadster 2 reaches over 26 feet in the air through its cold-gas thrusters, spins once in mid-air, then uses the same tech to land safely.

— James Peckham, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Inspired by spider silk, the company genetically programs microorganisms to produce silk proteins through fermentation, then spins those proteins into biodegradable yarn.

— Kate Gammon, Time, 15 Oct. 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

For example, a player taking hundreds of shots could use data collected by the chip to understand which shooting angles and ball rotations are most likely to result in a basket.

— Jessica Golden, CNBC, 11 Oct. 2026
The American Medical Association recommends chin tucks, gentle neck rotations and half-neck circles during the day.

— Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 10 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

Noun

Battles over voter rolls, citizenship and federal authority There are secretary of state contests in 26 states this November.

— Thom Reilly, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026
As the camera rolls, Holmes works overtime to convince the filmmakers, and us, of her innocence, with Evans butting in frequently to add his 3,268 cents—2 would never be enough.

— Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of rolls

Verb

The track weaves together experiences of colonialism, trauma, and resistance, with the innocence of childhood as a backdrop.

— Vanessa Diaz, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026
Spain’s Oscar submission weaves Federico García Lorca’s unfinished play into a story that spans generations.

— Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 15 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 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of reels

noun

verb

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