1
as in to hesitate
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
William Lloyd Garrison never once faltered in his demand that slavery be unconditionally abolished
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2
as in to tremble
to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side
the cut tree seemed to falter for a moment before crashing to the ground
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of falter
Once again Israelis didn’t falter.
—
Ron Scherf, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
The war was coming to a close when his job had been terminated altogether as the Confederate government faltered toward its slow but certain collapse.
—Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
This reliance on billionaire donors makes parties fragile — when one exits, the whole coalition falters.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Time itself begins to falter — clocks spin strangely, pipes clog without reason, and most tragically, Lucius’ once-perfect soufflés have gone from magical to inedible.
—Leila Latif, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for falter
Ron Scherf, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
The war was coming to a close when his job had been terminated altogether as the Confederate government faltered toward its slow but certain collapse.
—Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
This reliance on billionaire donors makes parties fragile — when one exits, the whole coalition falters.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Time itself begins to falter — clocks spin strangely, pipes clog without reason, and most tragically, Lucius’ once-perfect soufflés have gone from magical to inedible.
—Leila Latif, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for falter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for falter
Verb
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In Larsen’s view, striking at the right moment - whether in blockchain, AI, or precision medicine - requires not only patience but also the courage to act decisively when others hesitate.—
Francois Botha,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Some executives hesitated, unsure of what to expect.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In the elevator of the Associated Press Building at Rockefeller Plaza, Sunny’s brows trembled.—
Kiran Desai,
New Yorker,
3 Aug. 2025
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But then the cheers from his fans would begin, and Hogan would tremble with energy.—
John DeVore,
Rolling Stone,
26 July 2025
Verb
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As a result, the Earth’s axis doesn’t wobble evenly but with varying degrees of intensity.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Sep. 2025
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The most common form, cervical dystonia, affects the neck, causing wobbling or worse, the inability to hold the head upright.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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On back-to-back pass plays, though, Ward held the ball too long and couldn’t shake the Broncos’ pass rush, resulting in back-to-back sacks that took the Titans outside field goal range.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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After a while, the lady shook her head.—
Bryan Washington,
New Yorker,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Industry leaders such as Denmark’s Orsted, Siemens Gamesa, and General Electric have been squeezed by rising component prices, high interest rates, and wavering government support.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Sep. 2025
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Nicolas Guyonnet | Afp | Getty Images LONDON — European stocks opened lower on Tuesday as tariff uncertainty causes global markets to waver.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The White House will be well aware of this fact, particularly in an environment where fiscally conservative Republicans will be shuddering at Uncle Sam’s $37 trillion (and growing) national debt.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
20 Aug. 2025
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For much of last season, Atletico appeared set to seriously compete on all fronts, but their season shuddered to a stop in March with a series of disappointing defeats by Barcelona and Madrid across La Liga, Copa del Rey and the Champions League.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Falter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falter. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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