REELING Definition & Meaning

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reeling

[ ree-ling ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

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.
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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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of reeling¹

reel ²( def ) + -ing ²( def )

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"Trump has induced a gigantic amount of uncertainty into the global economy and consumers and investors and business managers are reeling and unable to make long-term decisions," Mr Ellerboek said.

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"He is reeling, he is retreating, and that is a good thing," he said.

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US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent insisted the change of policy was not influenced by the global falls, but senior Democrat Chuck Schumer said the decision showed Trump was "reeling and retreating".

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Some public historians, left reeling from DOGE-spearheaded cuts to federal humanities and arts funding, view the order as an affront to the scholarship and nuance that undergirds the institutions' evidence-based tellings of American history.

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Markets are reeling from US President Donald Trump's tariff announcements, but the American leader is standing by his decisions, defending his policies and saying "sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something".

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