1
as in to lurch
to move forward while swaying from side to side
I was so tired last night that I just staggered upstairs to bed without eating dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to falter
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
a daunting problem that would make even the most decisive person stagger just a bit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of stagger
Major events such as Hamilton and an Issa Rae show were swiftly canceled, staff departures staggered departments and drained the organization of expertise, and ticket sales drastically declined.
—
Janay Kingsberry, The Atlantic, 6 June 2026
The lone survivor of the half-hour killing spree, critically injured 49-year-old David Hernandez, staggered to a nearby street where police officers were trying to revive another Santos victim.
—ABC News, 28 May 2026
Three commissioners serve staggered six-year terms.
—Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 May 2026
Commissioners serve staggered six-year terms.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for stagger
Janay Kingsberry, The Atlantic, 6 June 2026
The lone survivor of the half-hour killing spree, critically injured 49-year-old David Hernandez, staggered to a nearby street where police officers were trying to revive another Santos victim.
—ABC News, 28 May 2026
Three commissioners serve staggered six-year terms.
—Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 May 2026
Commissioners serve staggered six-year terms.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for stagger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stagger
Verb
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Long road trips, cruises, airplane takeoffs, and landings—all make my stomach lurch.—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
9 June 2026
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In a December 2024 crash, a bus lurched onto a sidewalk outside Curley K-8 School in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood.—
Willoughby Mariano,
ProPublica,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Enjoy the Games Fortunately, Serrian said, the human mind is pretty good at picking up where less-than-perfect TVs falter.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
12 June 2026
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Had the 747 project faltered, Boeing would likely have gone down with it.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
Verb
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In an accompanying cartoon, Spark is caricatured as a sulking giant, tottering above the Tuscan countryside in a pair of high heels.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
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Among them a City boy wearing three Fit-Bit-type devices, two beautiful Middle Eastern sisters, an outrageously pompous elderly American (sorry; eavesdropping), and several Imelda Marcos lookalikes, tottering out of the treatment rooms with, somehow, their elaborate hairstyles still intact.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Businesses denied loans mid-deal Traditional banks often hesitate to deal with small firms.—
Alina Selyukh,
NPR,
12 June 2026
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For example, a manager may hesitate to recommend another woman for a high-profile assignment out of concern that opportunities are limited or that supporting a peer could diminish her own standing.—
Maia Niguel Hoskin,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Pulisic was exceptional before being subbed out at the half, weaving past defenders and creating scoring chances.—
Greg Rosenstein,
NBC news,
13 June 2026
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Together, the friends weave intricate webs of multi-player strategy just to avoid hurting someone else’s feelings.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The Grimm Brothers fairy tale follows a pair of famished siblings who get lost in the woods and entrapped by a child-eating witch, after stumbling upon her cottage made of candy.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
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The memorial effort dragged for years as the private onePulse Foundation, originally tasked to create it, stumbled and then collapsed amid excessive ambition that produced a plan for a $100 million memorial and museum the group had no ability to fund.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2026
Verb
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This is protection for investors, and this also is saving them transaction fees on, for example, rolling contracts.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
12 June 2026
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Then Jaimoe pauses, flashes a quick, playful grin, and rolls his right pant leg up to his knee.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
12 June 2026
Verb
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After starting at right tackle, Lomu flipped to the left side as Will Campbell’s top backup when the Patriots shuffled their O-line personnel with Maye still on the field.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
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The state's unique open primary — in which the top two contenders advance to the general election regardless of their party affiliation — was plagued by Democratic in-fighting and scandal that repeatedly shuffled the frontrunners.—
Kyler Alvord,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stagger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stagger. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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