Synonym Chooser

How does the verb falter differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of falter are hesitate, vacillate, and waver. While all these words mean "to show irresolution or uncertainty," falter implies a wavering or stumbling and often connotes nervousness, lack of courage, or outright fear.

never once faltered during her testimony

When would hesitate be a good substitute for falter?

The words hesitate and falter can be used in similar contexts, but hesitate implies a pause before deciding or acting or choosing.

hesitated before answering the question

When is vacillate a more appropriate choice than falter?

The synonyms vacillate and falter are sometimes interchangeable, but vacillate implies prolonged hesitation from inability to reach a firm decision.

vacillated until events were out of control

In what contexts can waver take the place of falter?

In some situations, the words waver and falter are roughly equivalent. However, waver implies hesitation after seeming to decide and so connotes weakness or a retreat.

wavered in his support of the rebels

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 falter Ultimately, Drake’s suit faltered. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025 After Ohtani faltered, the game was the Blue Jays’ to lose, but the Dodgers kept pecking away. Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 2 Nov. 2025 And when New York falters, the ripple effects are often national. MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025 Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) published the images Tuesday in a new report after ceasefire talks for the country faltered in Washington and following RSF entering El Fasher Sunday. Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for falter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for falter
Verb
  • But Maye doesn’t hesitate to break the pocket and scramble towards daylight when things break down.
    Mike Jones, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Many people like the idea of innovation but hesitate to share the road with fully autonomous vehicles.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The kind of person who trembles at watermarks is not the sort of person who dares to put marble in the dishwasher.
    Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The Maine trembled and angled up, then listed to port, throwing him from his chair.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • La Niña sets the stage by keeping moisture available, while the easterly QBO can trigger a wobbling polar vortex that pushes Arctic cold southward.
    Brandi D. Addison, Freep.com, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Does your ankle wobble excessively or feel unstable?
    Dana Santas, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Light shaking was detected, and people in several cities - including Hercules, San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland and Fremont - reported feeling the tremor, according to the USGS DYFI report.
    CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Trim the dead parts, shake the soil off, and store them in a cool, dark location where they are protected from the cold.
    Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Most of them will not waver in their belief that the jellied discs are the only cranberry dish worth serving.
    Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Many in the audience probably had trouble maintaining their composure, but Zevon never wavered.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • So one shudders to think what might happen when the Dolphins now face a murderer’s row of elite running backs and mobile quarterbacks.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Neumark shudders to think how much his grandmother may have spent on Beanie Babies.
    Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Falter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falter. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.

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