stagger

verb

stag·ger | \ ˈsta-gər

staggered; staggering\ ˈsta-g(ə-)riŋ

Definition of stagger

(Entry 1 of 3)

intransitive verb

1a : to reel from side to side : totter

b : to move on unsteadily staggered toward the door

2 : to waver in purpose or action : hesitate

3 : to rock violently the ship staggered

transitive verb

1 : to cause to doubt or hesitate : perplex

2 : to cause to reel or totter

3 : to arrange in any of various zigzags, alternations, or overlappings of position or time stagger work shifts stagger teeth on a cutter

stagger

noun

Definition of stagger (Entry 2 of 3)

1 staggers plural in form but singular or plural in construction : an abnormal condition of domestic animals associated with damage to the central nervous system and marked by incoordination and a reeling unsteady gait

2 : a reeling or unsteady gait or stance

3 : an arrangement in which the leading edge of the upper wing of a biplane is advanced over that of the lower

stagger

adjective

Definition of stagger (Entry 3 of 3)

: marked by an alternating or overlapping pattern

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Examples of stagger in a Sentence

Verb

She staggered over to the sofa. A hard slap on the back staggered him. It staggers me to see how much money they've spent on this project. They staggered the runners' starting positions.

Noun

He walked with a slight stagger.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Couples who stagger their retirement dates also must carve out time to be together. — Anne Tergesen, WSJ, "Why You Shouldn’t Retire When Your Spouse Does," 20 Nov. 2018 With discounts on Xbox One X bundles and the new 2018 MacBook Air with Retina Display at different storage options, the deals that are staggered throughout the week are looking pretty good. — Shannon Liao, The Verge, "eBay’s Black Friday deals include the new 2018 MacBook Air, Samsung 4K TVs, and Red Dead Redemption 2," 19 Nov. 2018 She was found burned alive, staggering away from the burning car just after 8 p.m. Video was also played Friday with Tellis discussing burns on his arms and bottom. — Fox News, "Jurors see interview videos of man accused in burning death," 28 Sep. 2018 Arrange 3 ramekins on the rack, then stagger the remaining 3 ramekins on top to create 2 layers. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Savory Bread Pudding," 16 Aug. 2018 The story is brought alive by Mr French’s Shanghai-noir telling, which echoes Dashiell Hammett and James Ellroy: Illicit hooch becomes a lethal blend…and drunks stagger and collapse on the Avenue Haig. — The Economist, "A gripping tale of Sodom sliding towards its bloody end," 12 July 2018 With the way the Rockets stagger Paul and James Harden, Melo would still be sharing the floor with another superstar. — Rohan Nadkarni, SI.com, "With His OKC Era Waning, Carmelo Anthony Must Pick Between Two Clear Free-Agency Paths," 6 July 2018 According to CBS Austin, the blue heeler mix was found staggering around a Texas road, mostly blind and in need of help. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, "Dog Survives Botched Euthanasia, Wakes Up Abandoned and Blind," 15 June 2018 The construction starts have been staggered so that all stairways are not closed at once. — Phil Diehl, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Carlsbad to suspend beach access work for the summer," 6 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

His mother said the family is aware of the smattering of crass fans who use social media to badger college kids when expectations not of their own making stagger. — Bryce Miller, sandiegouniontribune.com, "It's Trey's time as Kell-led Aztecs fight into NCAA field," 13 Mar. 2018 Critics say his abandoning of the TPP was a colossal error; the countries that the Obama administration rallied behind the most ambitious trade deal in history stagger along without U.S. leadership. — Andrew Browne, WSJ, "Trump’s New National-Security Policy: Paper Tiger or Hidden Dragon?," 19 Dec. 2017 As the Orioles stagger to the end of the season, there's speculation that manager Buck Showalter might shut down Bundy, who's now at a career-high 1692/3 innings. — David Ginsburg, courant.com, "Benintendi's 2-Run Single In 11th Lifts Red Sox Past Orioles," 19 Sep. 2017 A concerned Shaw watched Meyer, dazed and bleeding from scrapes, stagger to his feet. — Gary D'amato, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "D'Amato: Carl Meyer keeps swinging, and swinging, for veterans," 4 July 2017 The clumsy stagger-step between every action is a pain, but it’s basically all there is to Valkyria Revolution’s combat. — Steven Strom, Ars Technica, "Valkyria Revolution trades in cult-classic status for wasted promise," 27 June 2017 And now the Celtics stagger forward without their leading scorer and best playmaker into Quicken Loans Arena to take on the Cavs, who throttled them twice in Boston and have won 13 straight postseason games. — Tom Withers, courant.com, "Bradley Hits Last-second Shot, Celtics Stun Cavs, 111-108," 21 May 2017 The Celtics didn't always use a stagger screen to elicit the switch. — Adi Joseph, USA TODAY, "Wizards keep allowing Isaiah to torch Morris," 4 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stagger.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

3 Jan 2019

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Time Traveler for stagger

The first known use of stagger was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for stagger

stagger

verb

English Language Learners Definition of stagger

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to move or cause (someone) to move unsteadily from side to side

: to shock or surprise (someone) very much

: to arrange (things) in a series of different positions or times

stagger

noun

English Language Learners Definition of stagger (Entry 2 of 2)

: an unsteady movement while walking or standing

See the full definition for stagger in the English Language Learners Dictionary

stagger

verb

stag·ger | \ ˈsta-gər

staggered; staggering

Kids Definition of stagger

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to move or cause to move unsteadily from side to side as if about to fall : reel He staggered under the load's weight.

2 : to cause or feel great surprise or shock The news staggered me.

3 : to arrange or be arranged in a zigzag but balanced way She stared at the dark brown and purple ridges staggered in the distance …— Pam Muñoz Ryan, Esperanza Rising