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reel

/ˈɹiːl/noun, verb1 syllable

Reel means: walk as if unable to control one's movements.

Synonyms for reel13

noun, as in a winder around which thread or tape or film or other flexible materials can be wound

bobbin, spool

noun, as in a lively dance of Scottish Highlanders; marked by circular moves and gliding steps

Scottish reel

noun, as in an American country dance which starts with the couples facing each other in two lines

Virginia reel

verb, as in walk as if unable to control one's movements

stagger, keel, lurch, swag, careen

verb, as in revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis

spin, spin around, whirl, gyrate

What does reel mean?9

verb

1

walk as if unable to control one's movements“The drunken man staggered into the room”

2

revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis“The dervishes whirl around and around without getting dizzy”

3

wind onto or off a reel

noun

1

a winder around which thread or tape or film or other flexible materials can be wound

2

a lively dance of Scottish Highlanders; marked by circular moves and gliding steps

3

an American country dance which starts with the couples facing each other in two lines

4

a roll of photographic film holding a series of frames to be projected by a movie projector

5

music composed for dancing a reel

6

winder consisting of a revolving spool with a handle; attached to a fishing rod

Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

What rhymes with reel?24

Show 40 near rhymes

Reel in a sentence

  • My punch sent him reeling into the rope.shekitten
  • Spain is reeling under the onslaught of the coronavirus.Hybrid
  • I'm still reeling from the shock of the news.AlanF_US
  • The jig, reel and hornpipe are the most popular Irish dances.BraveSentry
  • Care to reel in some big ones? Let's go fishing.Amastan
  • The films shown in this modest cinema had an intermission during which the projectionist changed the reel.sundown
  • I only watched the highlight reel.ddnktr
  • The cat unravelled the reel of cotton.sundown

Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.

Forms of reel

as a noun

plural
reels

as a verb

past tense
reeled
present participle
reeling
third-person singular
reels
past participle
reeled