as in cowards
a person without strength of character
the congresswoman is but a reed who bends whichever way the political winds are blowing
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Recent Examples of reeds
On the Peruvian side, travelers can visit the Uros floating islands, the artificial islets woven from totora reeds and home to communities that have lived here for centuries, then settle into a rustic homestay at Amantaní for a quieter look at life on the lake.
—
Carla Vianna, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026
Blood is as much a part of this landscape as the honeysuckle reeds.
—Keith Sharon, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
Wicker refers to the method of weaving—most outdoor wicker furniture features materials such as rattan, raffia, bamboo, and willow reeds.
—Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 14 Apr. 2026
Water levels had risen higher than expected, leaving the cyclist stranded halfway across the river — clinging to reeds with their bike as the current moved around them.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
Linas, a runner, started the Creek Team OC Instagram account after noticing changes on his runs along San Juan and Trabuco creeks, where lush green reeds suddenly turned brown and lifeless.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
The protagonist is a nine-year-old girl named Lamia (Baneen Ahmad Nayyef), who lives with her grandmother (Waheed Thabet Khreibat), in a mudhif, a house of twisted reeds, in Iraq’s southern marshlands.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
Dozens of kayakers lined up beneath the West Mission Bay Drive Bridge on a clear, chilly Saturday morning, preparing to paddle through the San Diego River Estuary’s shallow reeds in search of trash threatening one of the region’s most important wildlife habitats.
—Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Jan. 2026
Along the banks, the giants of Amazonia, the sentinel royal palms and the colossal domed kapoks, rose above a confusion of trunks, reeds, and trailing vines.
—Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Carla Vianna, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026
Blood is as much a part of this landscape as the honeysuckle reeds.
—Keith Sharon, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
Wicker refers to the method of weaving—most outdoor wicker furniture features materials such as rattan, raffia, bamboo, and willow reeds.
—Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 14 Apr. 2026
Water levels had risen higher than expected, leaving the cyclist stranded halfway across the river — clinging to reeds with their bike as the current moved around them.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
Linas, a runner, started the Creek Team OC Instagram account after noticing changes on his runs along San Juan and Trabuco creeks, where lush green reeds suddenly turned brown and lifeless.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
The protagonist is a nine-year-old girl named Lamia (Baneen Ahmad Nayyef), who lives with her grandmother (Waheed Thabet Khreibat), in a mudhif, a house of twisted reeds, in Iraq’s southern marshlands.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
Dozens of kayakers lined up beneath the West Mission Bay Drive Bridge on a clear, chilly Saturday morning, preparing to paddle through the San Diego River Estuary’s shallow reeds in search of trash threatening one of the region’s most important wildlife habitats.
—Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Jan. 2026
Along the banks, the giants of Amazonia, the sentinel royal palms and the colossal domed kapoks, rose above a confusion of trunks, reeds, and trailing vines.
—Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reeds
Noun
-
Parties aside, the majority of our legislators are cowards.—
Sam Meas,
Boston Herald,
2 Mar. 2026
-
And Trump calls ’em almost like cowards.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Thousands of bright blue, jellyfish-like sea creatures are washing up on beaches across California.—
Stephanie Zappelli,
Sacbee.com,
23 Apr. 2026
-
SeaWorld likens the experience to the LED room in its Jewels of the Sea attraction that brings to life various shapes and sizes of jellyfish.—
Lori Weisberg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Between colorful doormats and minimalist styles, these spring-inspired finds add a splash of beauty and practicality.—
Brittany VanDerBill,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Apr. 2026
-
One easy way to get rid of dust is by adding doormats at your home’s entry points.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One of the mice says that his sister is friends with Speedy Gonzales.—
Jared Bahir Browsh,
The Conversation,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Particularly caring mice dads will groom their pups and even insulate them with their bellies against inclement weather.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
When bumbling village policeman Derry (an endearing Nicholas Braun) dismisses any suspicion of foul play despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, it’s left to the sheep to prove otherwise — despite no ability to converse with their human counterparts beyond Lassie-style leading and hinting.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Contrary to speculation about the intellectual capabilities of sheep, this herd loves solving fictional crimes and is pretty good at it, especially the very smart Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) the titular head of this ragtag crew.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reeds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reeds. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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