falter

1 to show uncertainty about the right course of action <William Lloyd Garrison never once faltered in his demand that slavery be unconditionally abolished> Synonyms balance, dither, hesitate, halt, hang back, scruple, shilly-shally, stagger, teeter, vacillate, waver, wobble (also wabble)Related Words haw, hem; dally, dawdle, delay, linger, pause, procrastinate, wait; back down, chicken (out); consider, debate, deliberate, ponder, weigh; oscillate, sway; equivocate, hedge, pussyfoot, waffleNear Antonyms decide; budge, stir; advance, continueAntonyms dive (in), plunge (in)

2 to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side <the cut tree seemed to falter for a moment before crashing to the ground> Synonyms teeter, rock, totter, waver, wobble (also wabble)Related Words flounder, lurch, stumble, toddle; quake, quaver, quiver, shake, shudder, tremble, vibrate; careen, reel, stagger, weave