heels 1 of 2

plural of heel

heels

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of heel
as in slopes
to set or cause to be at an angle the strong gust heeled the sailboat almost to the point of capsizing, but we managed to right it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 heels
Noun
At the January couture shows in Paris, the look was epitomized by Lauren Sánchez Bezos and her devotion to an hourglass silhouette and toe-crunching heels. Robin Givhan, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026 The closing comes on the heels of another seasonal pause on South Beach. Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026 The planes, for example, will cool their heels in the desert of Arizona, where the weather is more hospitable to their corrosion-prone bodies. John Werner, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Not unlike Margot Robbie, who, with that precise swoop of a Samantha Jones bob, was photographed this week in Paris wearing a corset top, a low-slung skirt and strappy Jude heels, with an Alaïa Le Teckel bag, for dinner with her parents and husband. Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 18 Aug. 2026 Slowly lift your heels to rise onto the balls of your feet, and pause briefly at the top. Jakob Roze, HEALTH, 18 Aug. 2026 Steve Madden’s new campaign highlights fall 2026 footwear and apparel collections, with key loafers, boots, heels and ready-to-wear blended with a downtown New York attitude. Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 17 Aug. 2026 Accessories such as graphic oversized earrings and a pair of slingback heels will elevate the look further. Fiona Embleton, Glamour, 12 Aug. 2026 News of the honor comes on the heels of the EGOT winner’s most recent film, Disclosure Day, starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, Eve Hewson and Wyatt Russell. Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
Savoy Brown also wore Manolo Blahnik heels with a Hanut Singh ring. Julia Teti, Footwear News, 26 Feb. 2026 These sultry heels have a subtle pink hue like the Elisabet Tang heels, as well as eye-catching hold hardware on the back. Jordan Julian, InStyle, 4 Feb. 2026 The action then moves to a studio where Law Roach is styling Adrina Lima who is wearing an archival Maison Margiela top with a Miss Claire Sullivan skirt and Helmut Lang heels. Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 23 Dec. 2025 Amanu, the youngest, is the most experimental, wearing business casual ties and button downs one day and trying on a sequined dress and heels the next. Essence, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heels
Noun
  • The Perk That Actually Works For years, companies have competed to fill their offices with amenities meant to signal ambition—ping pong tables, nap rooms, office dogs, sprawling lounges.
    Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The search continued at Coes Reservoir on Friday with marine units, helicopters, sonar and dogs, according to CNN affiliate WCVB.
    Elise Hammond, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In rivers and streams in Virginia and Maryland, Hack measured the length of each stream and the area of the land that slopes toward that stream and therefore drains into it, called its basin or drainage area.
    Natalie Wolchover, Quanta Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Depending on the excursion’s stops, snorkelers might float above patch reefs or explore the channels between spur-and-groove coral formations as the reef slopes into deeper water.
    Sarah Bruning, Travel + Leisure, 6 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • That screwed up the works / And not due to his sloppy hiring / Of a crew of incompetent jerks.
    Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Something from this article might put me on some Ben Shapiro list, where a bunch of jerks literally will just call me ‘f****t’ or worse on my social media.
    William Earl, Variety, 10 June 2026
Verb
  • This piece then dramatically tilts down joining the rest of the track before the ride car rockets down the vertical drop.
    Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Simashev is excellent defensively and on retrievals and tilts the ice in his favor.
    Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Yusef Toubassi sits with his grandson Masa, looking on as children run by with cheeks painted bright colors and others howling with joy as clowns spin them around.
    Dina Kraft, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Aug. 2026
  • One morning during my stay, there were even clowns buzzing about—a thrill to receive a balloon poodle alongside my morning flat white.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 July 2026
Verb
  • Outdoor curtains lend some privacy while providing a bit of shade when the sun angles in at sunrise and sunset.
    Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 23 June 2026
  • Moon angles her chin and the light dims in her eyes.
    Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
Noun
  • Here’s what to do if skunks become a problem in your yard and how to get rid of them.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Rabies is spread by the bite or scratch of an infected animal, such as a groundhog, cat, fox, raccoon, skunk or bat.
    Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Land targeted for conservation makes up a quilt of South Florida wilderness, from coastal wetland to tropical hammocks, inhabited by rare plants, butterflies, bats, snakes and other critters.
    Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Researchers have identified thousands of snakes and lizards in this geological record, many of which became meals for local predators.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heels. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster