1
as in hesitated
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
William Lloyd Garrison never once faltered in his demand that slavery be unconditionally abolished
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in trembled
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 faltered
But the peace effort ultimately faltered after Iran could not commit to giving up its nuclear ambitions, the president said.
—
Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2026
The match was an Olympics of desperation as the Ducks broke their six-game freefall and San Jose faltered in a must-win position.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 10 Apr. 2026
How the mighty Robot has faltered.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026
On the other hand, energy stocks that have surged since the start of the conflict faltered in the premarket, with shares of Exxon Mobil dropping more than 7% and Chevron down more than 6%.
—Sarah Min,john Melloy,lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2026
At times during her career, Close was viewed as an excellent recruiter and strong motivational speaker, but her tactical decisions were easy to question every time her team faltered during big moments.
—Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
The right-hander — a former first-round pick by the Pirates in 2017 — missed out on his first victory with the Orioles since being acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay when Baltimore's defense faltered late.
—CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
Efforts to identify a leadership alternative inside Iran have faltered.
—Kazem Kazerounian, Hartford Courant, 1 Apr. 2026
Washington led 111-106 with 6 1/2 minutes remaining, but the Wizards defense faltered after that.
—ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2026
The match was an Olympics of desperation as the Ducks broke their six-game freefall and San Jose faltered in a must-win position.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 10 Apr. 2026
How the mighty Robot has faltered.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026
On the other hand, energy stocks that have surged since the start of the conflict faltered in the premarket, with shares of Exxon Mobil dropping more than 7% and Chevron down more than 6%.
—Sarah Min,john Melloy,lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2026
At times during her career, Close was viewed as an excellent recruiter and strong motivational speaker, but her tactical decisions were easy to question every time her team faltered during big moments.
—Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
The right-hander — a former first-round pick by the Pirates in 2017 — missed out on his first victory with the Orioles since being acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay when Baltimore's defense faltered late.
—CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
Efforts to identify a leadership alternative inside Iran have faltered.
—Kazem Kazerounian, Hartford Courant, 1 Apr. 2026
Washington led 111-106 with 6 1/2 minutes remaining, but the Wizards defense faltered after that.
—ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faltered
Verb
-
Dean Kim, master baker and founder of OC Baking Company, said that Schwarz was the kind of chef who never hesitated to show up for others.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
9 Apr. 2026
-
After a dramatic Easter weekend for the war in Iran—downed American fighter jets, a daring rescue behind enemy lines, and strikes on universities and petrochemical plants—traders hesitated at Monday’s opening bell.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Husso has gone 9-8-2 and provided some timely wins during a season where Mrázek wobbled and then fell out of service completely while Lukáš Dostál was on track to set a career high in games played for a second consecutive campaign.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Semiconductors, the last remnant of tech-stock leadership, have wobbled, including some severe profit-taking in memory stocks.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At least the elevator still creaked and shuddered, as in the old days, finally trembling open on the eighth floor.—
Rick Bragg,
Southern Living,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Later, when Tristan gently put his hand on Marke’s shoulder, the king shuddered.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The vicious murder that followed shook Kansas City to its core and to this day, no one knows for certain who snuck into Leila Welsh’s bedroom and brutally murdered her that morning.—
Patrick Salland,
Kansas City Star,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Magnus shook his head, his damp hair flopping against the back of his neck.—
Ben Mezrich,
Vanity Fair,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At the other end of the spectrum, Nicholas Hoult subtly flexed a rose-gold Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso with an elegant Milanese bracelet courtside at a Lakers game and John Mulaney rocked the rare Gérald Genta Geneva Minute Repeater on the streets of New York.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
4 Apr. 2026
-
In the most lopsided home opener loss in Colorado history, Lorenzen — who pitched for the Phillies in the second half of 2023 following a deadline trade from Detroit — got rocked.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If his form has wavered, then so has a more literal kind of dependability.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Spain and Italy have both denied America use of military bases in their territory; Britain, the erstwhile steadfast ally of America, wavered on the issue, too.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Don’t gag, don’t cry — and my stomach lurched.—
Kate Crane,
Rolling Stone,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Since then, the larger culture has lurched rightward, with big corporations abandoning progressive signaling in favor of…other priorities.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Faltered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faltered. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
