dodder

verb

Definition of doddernext
as in to stagger
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dodder Probably quite poorly, conjuring images of Trump doddering around on a golf course. — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 21 July 2024 Tel Aviv University biologist Daniel Chamovitz discusses dodder and many other fascinating plants in his upcoming book, What A Plant Knows, an excerpt from which appears in the May issue of Scientific American. — Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2021 The Dodgers appeared to dodder in the first two games, running up huge pitch counts against Atlanta starters Max Fried and Ian Anderson, but failing to score a run in 14 of the first 15 innings. — Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 15 Oct. 2020 As for pests, experts have identified a tiny wasp, two noxious weeds (water spinach and dodder) and a larval seed beetle. — Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2020 Last, the researchers created a green fluorescent version of the flowering signal chemical, which provided visual evidence that dodder plant tissues can absorb the chemical and direct it to their flowering mechanisms. — Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2020 Cassidy took control when the Bruins were doddering along at 26-23-6, both feet firmly planted on a path to a third consecutive DNQ. — BostonGlobe.com, 23 Nov. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dodder
  1. stagger
  2. lurch
  3. weave
  4. totter
Verb
  • The American staggered out of the gates at Royal Portrush last year to an opening 78, but played the final three rounds in a blazing 16-under-par.
    — Justin Ray, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • Employers staggered work schedules, commuters mapped alternate routes and many residents avoided the city altogether.
    — Andrea Clement, AJC.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of stagger
Verb
  • The statue is dragged via ropes by grunting Trojans before being lurched upright against a sacred temple, once again jostling those inside.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
  • Adams’ shoulders lurched on the bench, while Richards fell to his knees, dug his afro into the grass, and closed his eyes in pain.
    — Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of lurch
Verb
  • Under the supervision of a local artisan, guests sit cross-legged on a carpet beneath a large tree and weave their own small version of the bed.
    — Emese Maczko, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • The superintendent served as master of ceremonies, with performers weaving around him, cameos by celebrities, and slide projections and film sequences appearing on cue to supplement his applause and laugh lines.
    — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of weave
Verb
  • Outside, a gull tottered to the window and tapped its beak against the glass.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
  • Among them a City boy wearing three Fit-Bit-type devices, two beautiful Middle Eastern sisters, an outrageously pompous elderly American (sorry; eavesdropping), and several Imelda Marcos lookalikes, tottering out of the treatment rooms with, somehow, their elaborate hairstyles still intact.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Definition of totter

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Cite this Entry

“Dodder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dodder. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dodder

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dodder

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