as in shaking
marked by or given to small uncontrollable bodily movements
after the accident, she was only able to take a few tottering steps at a time
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in staggering
to move forward while swaying from side to side
tottered around the house as she practiced walking in high heels
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in faltering
to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side
the figurine tottered precariously for a moment before falling off the shelf
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tottering
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Neither of them understands the other’s dynamic with Daniel, and the split-episode format keeps our sympathies teeter-tottering between each woman.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tottering
Verb
-
Cheng likes to build muni bond ladders, which means staggering the maturity dates of multiple bonds.—
Michelle Fox,
CNBC,
29 Oct. 2025
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To get through the season and the playoffs, staggering the minutes of Green and Horford is logical, even with Quintin Post picking up some center minutes.—
Jannelle Moore,
Mercury News,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That reinforced the idea that inflation concerns should take a backseat to worries about faltering job growth.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
29 Oct. 2025
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After faltering in the semifinals of the 2024 WNBA playoffs, Wilson and the Aces capped off a dominant postseason run Friday by sweeping the Phoenix Mercury with a 97-86 win.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The mood is lurching between calm and doom-mongering chaos.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
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The administration’s lurching one way and another with tariffs is another example.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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That week’s host, Emily Blunt, did the trembly voice-over.—
Michael Schulman,
The New Yorker,
21 Dec. 2020
Verb
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The cases are rare because typically the Fed cuts rates to boost a weakening economy that’s teetering on a recession and already hitting the stock market.—
Fred Imbert,
CNBC,
29 Oct. 2025
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While official figures show America's economy growing at a robust pace, a number of states are currently teetering on the edge of an economic downturn, according to Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Trips to Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur will be challenging, but the team are getting better at wobbling without falling over.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
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An internal compression pad and multiple pockets help maximize packing space in this lightweight spinner, which is crafted from water-repellent nylon and boasts a proprietary stabilizer to prevent wobbling.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Astronomers have unveiled the largest low-frequency radio color image of the Milky Way ever created, offering a sprawling cosmic panorama that reveals supernova remnants, stellar nurseries, pulsars and the intricate glow of gas and dust weaving through our galaxy’s heart.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
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And while that's true, the show is also its own beast, deviating greatly from King's story by weaving in military intrigue, spycraft, and Native American mythology.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Start the process by vigorously shaking or hanging then pounding the rug to remove loose dirt, crumbs, and other particles, then vacuum it thoroughly on both sides, using a canister vacuum with the hose or a high pile setting—and no beater bar!—
Jennifer Beck Goldblatt,
Architectural Digest,
31 Oct. 2025
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Part of it was that Mark Kerr was sitting right beside him, shaking through the entire film—for many reasons.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tottering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tottering. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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