wobble

1 of 2

verb

wob·​ble ˈwä-bəl How to pronounce wobble (audio)
variants or less commonly wabble
wobbled also wabbled; wobbling also wabbling ˈwä-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce wobble (audio)

intransitive verb

1
a
: to move or proceed with an irregular rocking or staggering motion or unsteadily and clumsily from side to side
2

transitive verb

: to cause to wobble
wobbler noun
or less commonly wabbler
wobbliness noun
or less commonly wabbliness
wobbly adjective
or less commonly wabbly

wobble

2 of 2

noun

variants or less commonly wabble
1
a
: a hobbling or rocking unequal motion (as of a wheel unevenly mounted)
b
: an uncertainly directed movement
2
: an intermittent variation (as in volume of sound)

Examples of wobble in a Sentence

Verb The vase wobbled but didn't fall over. The boy was wobbling along on his bicycle. The table wobbles a little. They have been wobbling in their support of the president's policies.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The 25-year-old raced into a 5-2 lead in the second set, but wobbled after Świątek saved two match points and mounted a comeback to come within touching distance of leveling the second set. Issy Ronald, CNN, 24 Feb. 2024 Orbital resonance can cause planets or asteroids to speed up or start to wobble. Chris Impey, Discover Magazine, 12 Feb. 2024 And there are signs the labor market is wobbling, says Goldman Sachs economist David Mericle. Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2024 Then Miramonte kept the points coming, building a seven-point advantage that had Campo wobbling. Darren Sabedra, The Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2024 Being’s hands land on the sides of their chest, pumping their arms before taking a wide stance and wobbling their knees. Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2024 Having already served as a head coach and with experience on each side of the ball, Morris might be uniquely situated to handle this transition and keep the outfit from wobbling during a time of change. Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2024 But this was always going to be about what happened when lungs burned and legs wobbled. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Feb. 2024 To test for doneness, gently shake the tart; if the middle wobbles just a little (and still appears undercooked) but the sides seem solid, it is done. Kathy Gunst, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024
Noun
The Dow’s 500-point wobble on CPI data suggesting higher-for-longer inflation (and interest rates) has some observers wondering if the beginning of the bubble popping is nearing in 2024. Will Daniel, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2024 Another key to tame wobble is to simply relax a little. Matthew Every, Field & Stream, 14 Feb. 2024 The Bay Area has been able — for now — to withstand the wobbles in the region’s tech industry. George Avalos, The Mercury News, 19 Jan. 2024 Because of these wobbles, Earth’s obliquity isn’t perfectly fixed. Gongjie Li, Discover Magazine, 11 Jan. 2024 And DeSantis has seen his footing wobble amid increasingly public infighting between his campaign and supportive outside groups -- the kind of traditional campaign drama that campaigns of yesteryear fought hard to avoid. Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 21 Dec. 2023 Thanks to the restoration process, none of the trim wobbles or creaks, and no levers sit limp. Alex Goy, Ars Technica, 4 Oct. 2023 While the novel hums with energy in its last third, the passage of time wobbles; what feels like days turns out to be several weeks. Ryan Chapman, Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2023 The new Blue switch, however, seemed to have about the same amount of wobble. Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 25 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wobble.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably from Low German wabbeln; akin to Old English wǣfre restless — more at waver

First Known Use

Verb

1657, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1699, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of wobble was in 1657

Dictionary Entries Near wobble

Cite this Entry

“Wobble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wobble. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wobble

1 of 2 verb
wob·​ble ˈwäb-əl How to pronounce wobble (audio)
wobbled; wobbling -(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce wobble (audio)
1
a
: to move or cause to move with a jerky rocking or side-to-side motion
the baby's head wobbled from side to side
b
: tremble entry 1 sense 1
a voice that wobbles
2
: waver sense 1
his opinion wobbled
wobbler noun
wobbly adjective

wobble

2 of 2 noun
: a wobbling action or movement
the wheel had a bad wobble

More from Merriam-Webster on wobble

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