staggering

adjective stag·ger·ing \ ˈsta-g(ə-)riŋ \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of staggering

: so great as to cause one to stagger : astonishing, overwhelming

a staggering feat

staggering medical bills

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staggeringly

adverb

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Examples of staggering in a Sentence

The storm caused a staggering amount of damage.
the staggering scope of the new construction on campus

Recent Examples of staggering from the Web

These indicators, coupled with the staggering cost of higher education and millions of unfilled jobs in skilled trades, are pushing policymakers to rethink America’s bachelor’s-or-bust mentality.

— sarah gonser, NBC News, "Students are being prepared for jobs that no longer exist. Here's how that could change.," 12 Apr. 2018
This form prompted Paris Saint-Germain to shell out around £166m for his services, a truly staggering amount, but enough about his club exploits.

— SI.com, "8 Young Starlets That Could Become Superstars of the World Cup," 12 Apr. 2018
The Spurs can outbid every other franchise for Leonard’s services by a staggering amount.

— mike finger, San Antonio Express-News, "For Leonard, Spurs, divorce makes no sense," 16 Mar. 2018
But the staggering cost of fully developing a modern fighter jet, complete with engine, avionics, advanced weapons, and stealth technology, dampened Tokyo’s enthusiasm for the project.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Japan May Scrap Its Homegrown Fighter Jet," 12 Mar. 2018
Thin lenses of pillow basalts and ultramafics, too, were likely proof that hundreds or thousands of miles of ancient ocean floor had been dismembered and sliced, a process requiring staggering amounts of displacement and deformation.

— Longreads, "The Quest for the Collision Zone: An Arctic Expedition," 12 Mar. 2018
Metropolitan could then sell some of its surplus water to San Joaquin Valley agricultural districts that, to this point, have refused to pledge any dollars to the tunnels project because of its staggering cost.

— dale kasler and ryan sabalow, sacbee, "A ‘water grab’? Southern California water agency eyes possible control of Delta tunnels project," 13 Feb. 2018
Add that to the massive amount of land owned by her in-laws, and the Drummonds are worth a staggering amount of money.

— megan friedman, Country Living, "How Much Is the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, Worth?," 3 Feb. 2018
The staggering amount of merchandise would have been worth nearly $10 million — if any of it was real.

— david ovalle, miamiherald, "Secret room in West Miami store had nearly $10 million in luxury goods. It was all fake. | Miami Herald," 24 Jan. 2018

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