reed

as in coward
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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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 reed He’s earned international esteem as a bandleader and collaborator with other singular artists like Afro-Swiss harmonica virtuoso Grégoire Maret, Japanese piano star Hiromi, and Cuban reed great Paquito D’Rivera. Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025 That, and the usual dance stereotypes: that ballet amounted to eating disorders, cutthroat competition, tiara-ed reeds in stiff tutus dancing in the moonlight. Elyse Durham, People.com, 18 Feb. 2025 According to the team, this confirms that reeds were used to make arrows in prehistoric Europe. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 5 Dec. 2024 It's used to build things and even to make music, which is one reason why this reed story is worth another read. Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 30 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for reed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reed
Noun
  • There is no way a coward like Musk is in a position to accuse Sen. Kelly of being a traitor.
    DP Opinion, The Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2025
  • This is a cop novel that fully satisfies its genre expectations — chases, gun battles, sinister bad guys, questionable cops, cowards and heroes.
    Claude Peck, Boston Herald, 16 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • By-the-wind-sailors are related to anemones, corals, jellyfish and hydroids.
    Adrian Rodriguez, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Research published in 2023 found that a year after test seabed mining disturbed the ocean floor in Japanese waters, the density of fish, crustaceans and jellyfish in nearby areas was cut in half.
    Ian Urbina, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Remove jute and other flammable doormats, brooms from the porch and flammable outdoor furniture.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2025
  • The streets are lined with red brick homes and two-story family dwellings, and the yards are decorated with a collection of toys, gnomes and doormats.
    Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The first step: Show a mouse video snippets of sci-fi movies, sports, animation and nature.
    CBS News, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Trying out their research on mice was easier than doing so on elephants—for one thing, the average gestation period for a mouse is three weeks, whereas an elephant’s is twenty-two months, the longest of any mammal.
    D. T. Max, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Made with a leather outer and 100 percent sheep leather lining, the shoes have a stunning glossy finish that is complimented by a nylon twill bow.
    Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Those spruce trees had colonized fields once used for sheep farming.
    Jennifer Wolcott, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Reed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reed. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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