as in lurching
to move forward while swaying from side to side
was doddering down the walk outside the nursing home
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in senile
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of doddering
Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 22 Mar. 2025
All this time, a smiling, doddering old man in a tuxedo had been ambling about, tending to guests and waiting on tables.
—Youmna Melhem Chamieh, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Their journey of friendship and rivalry is the emotional core of a story that is startlingly political, a leap made effectively by Jeff Goldblum’s dodgy, smarmy and doddering Wizard, who’s ably assisted by the darkly dangerous aide de camp Michelle Yeoh.
—Steven Gaydos, Variety, 16 Dec. 2024
Once upon a time, a doddering old man spoke of a dream about a united city in this empire’s capital, where every man, woman, and child could walk its streets and live a good life regardless of their patrician or plebeian birthright.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for doddering
Verb
Even that sounds dismissive like Flynn is some doddering old man.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 22 Mar. 2025
All this time, a smiling, doddering old man in a tuxedo had been ambling about, tending to guests and waiting on tables.
—Youmna Melhem Chamieh, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Their journey of friendship and rivalry is the emotional core of a story that is startlingly political, a leap made effectively by Jeff Goldblum’s dodgy, smarmy and doddering Wizard, who’s ably assisted by the darkly dangerous aide de camp Michelle Yeoh.
—Steven Gaydos, Variety, 16 Dec. 2024
Once upon a time, a doddering old man spoke of a dream about a united city in this empire’s capital, where every man, woman, and child could walk its streets and live a good life regardless of their patrician or plebeian birthright.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for doddering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doddering
Adjective
-
Back on the domestic front, Jeanine has reason to believe that her husband, Paul (Mark O’Brien), is having an affair with her senile mother’s caregiver.—
Michael Rechtshaffen,
The Hollywood Reporter,
9 Sep. 2023
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In one story, Earn’s seemingly routine trip to church with Gloria, Jeanie, and his senile grandfather (Bob Banks) goes pear-shaped when Gloria abruptly drives off with her dad, leaving behind Earn and a bewildered Jeanie, who has recently been their father’s caretaker.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
29 Sep. 2022
Adjective
-
The former logo — which featured an elderly man with his arm resting on a barrel — has been replaced with a simpler version, sans old man and barrel.—
TJ Macias,
Kansas City Star,
22 Aug. 2025
-
This sparse drama follows Earl Stone (played by Eastwood, who also directed), a elderly veteran of the Korean War who has spent most of his life prioritizing his horticulture work over family.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The Tampa Bay Rays, for instance, don’t want to return to decrepit Tropicana Field — even if the caved-in roof is repaired.—
Dan Schlossberg,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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Perhaps something good can come out of the city’s baffling 2016 decision to acquire the decrepit building without any seeming awareness that, in 2014, a consultant for its previous owner had called it fundamentally obsolete and cited asbestos contamination.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 July 2025
Verb
-
But the $12 billion decline in his fortune has more to do with asset shuffling than stock price movement.—
Julie Goldenberg,
Forbes,
21 Dec. 2024
-
James has been shuffling back and forth between the NBA and the G League.—
Benedict Cosgrove,
Newsweek,
19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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This one puts all its focus on Zimmerman, who slays his performance of geriatric Her.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
26 June 2025
-
The clinic, located at 1673 W. Shoreline Drive, Suite 100, offers adult and geriatric care.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
17 July 2025
Verb
-
Craft is the connective tissue of our history, weaving itself through each iteration and enabling new players to interpret it in novel ways.—
Bill Connolly,
Rolling Stone,
30 Dec. 2024
-
But police must notice a primary violation, such as speeding or weaving across lanes, to cite motorists for violating the cellphone law.—
David A. Lieb,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Wilson stars as Pryce Cahill, an over-the-hill, ex-pro golfer whose career was derailed prematurely 20 years ago.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
23 July 2025
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In Season 1, Wilson stars as Pryce Cahill, an over-the-hill, ex-pro golfer whose career was derailed prematurely 20 years ago.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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Theresa May and her spavined colleagues would be responsible for that distrust, but life is unfair and Boris would carry the can.—
John O'Sullivan,
National Review,
9 July 2019
-
The series took a chunk out of both the recklessness of the Texas state government and out of the spavined state of the EPA and OSHA even under President Obama, the latter problems having gotten worse under the current administration.—
Charles P. Pierce,
Esquire,
31 Aug. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Doddering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doddering. Accessed 2 Sep. 2025.
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