reeling

American  

[ree-ling] / ˈri lɪŋ /

adjective

1. staggering or swaying; unable to walk straight because of a blow, intoxication, etc..

   It seemed as if a reeling, drunken giant had set the route for the race—it was so full of twists and turns.

2. in a state of mental or emotional shock; overwhelmed.

   As a reeling nation mourns its dead, investigators are trying to determine whether anyone was aware of the homicidal plan.

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Etymology

Origin of reeling

reel ² ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reeling

She leads a news operation that is still reeling from a series of crises that eventually brought down her predecessor, Deborah Turness, as well as director general Tim Davie.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

Walmart and discount retailers were luring shoppers—who were reeling from inflation—with lower prices than Kroger’s.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

Those are the values Americans clung to when 9/11 sent us reeling.

From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026

JapanLA‘s owner says her team is working every day to block and silence trolls. She‘s still reeling from how quickly her business went from a bumper batch of orders to battling for its life.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

And Adam said, “I didn’t kill my brother—” Suddenly he stopped and his mind went reeling back in time.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck