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
Every neighborhood has its own part in the story too, as the nightlife nexus has migrated up and down Manhattan, shimmied across the East River and back, and transformed, faltered, and thrived again over the past six decades.
—
Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
They had just been swept by the Miami Marlins at home as the bullpen faltered and the offense failed to come through with runners in scoring position.
—Danielle Allentuck, Washington Post, 7 June 2026
The celebrations start this month, but the party planners seem to have faltered.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 7 June 2026
Misiorowski needed just 40 pitches to get through four innings but Milwaukee’s defense faltered in the fifth, leading to the Rockies’ only run.
—ABC News, 7 June 2026
But, as talks have publicly faltered in the past week, both sides have launched fresh strikes.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 6 June 2026
The early response to a traveler who carried Ebola into Lagos, Nigeria, a city of more than 20 million, faltered — until incident management turned it around, breaking an overwhelming problem into manageable units.
—Tom Frieden, STAT, 6 June 2026
As Wilson faltered, the confidence that fueled him early in his career came off as delusional to his critics.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 5 June 2026
The Broncos faltered in the snow, the Nuggets floundered on the hardwood, and now the Avalanche fail on ice.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
They had just been swept by the Miami Marlins at home as the bullpen faltered and the offense failed to come through with runners in scoring position.
—Danielle Allentuck, Washington Post, 7 June 2026
The celebrations start this month, but the party planners seem to have faltered.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 7 June 2026
Misiorowski needed just 40 pitches to get through four innings but Milwaukee’s defense faltered in the fifth, leading to the Rockies’ only run.
—ABC News, 7 June 2026
But, as talks have publicly faltered in the past week, both sides have launched fresh strikes.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 6 June 2026
The early response to a traveler who carried Ebola into Lagos, Nigeria, a city of more than 20 million, faltered — until incident management turned it around, breaking an overwhelming problem into manageable units.
—Tom Frieden, STAT, 6 June 2026
As Wilson faltered, the confidence that fueled him early in his career came off as delusional to his critics.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 5 June 2026
The Broncos faltered in the snow, the Nuggets floundered on the hardwood, and now the Avalanche fail on ice.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faltered
Verb
-
When stadium suites for the FIFA World Cup went on sale last year, the prices were so high that even the owner of Mercedes-Benz Stadium hesitated to buy one.—
Thad Moore,
AJC.com,
3 June 2026
-
Jamie hesitated and then, in an actorly kind of trance, came over and joined her on the bed.—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Minnesota found its groove in the fourth quarter, while San Antonio’s legs wobbled.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
5 May 2026
-
If everyone succeeded, the box got shorter for the next round, while the other participants hovered nearby to catch anyone who wobbled.—
Lily Hautau,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
The way the stadium shuddered with noise.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Tolle shook off his short last outing and did his part to keep the Orioles off the board.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
4 June 2026
-
That famous summer, at the fireworks in Versailles, every streaking green flame shook a sheet of light across the crowd sitting on blankets on the lawns.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Blue Origin officials have been able to get a closer look in recent days at the site where the company's towering New Glenn rocket exploded in a dramatic fireball that rocked Florida.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
-
The collapse of Swalwell’s campaign rocked the crowded race, and left room for other candidates to surge in the polls.—
Philip Wang,
Time,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Those sorts of successful plays, though, have been relatively rare — although Young has never wavered in his public support of Legette.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
1 June 2026
-
Paton’s word never wavered, though.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
By 2024 that gap reached 27 points – not because working-class voters lurched toward anti-government extremism, but because mainstream Democrats became dramatically more trusting of government as an instrument of social change.—
Nicholas Jacobs,
The Conversation,
2 June 2026
-
As Aden Kassaye and her mother got out to inspect the damage, Beas Solorio reportedly lurched the BMW forward, making contact with Ayalew’s torso, prompting Ayalew to slam her hands on the BMW’s hood to brace herself and yell at the driver.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Faltered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faltered. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
