as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
when it's so clear that this is the right thing to do, there's no excuse for faltering
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in wobbly
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in hesitating
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in trembling
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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Recent Examples of faltering
Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
The Reds' season can be described as consistently inconsistent but playing well down the stretch and the New York Mets faltering has led to an opportunity to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2020.
—Jason Hoffman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Sep. 2025
And the media went along with her coverup, despite Biden’s obvious faltering.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 7 Aug. 2025
Gregg Evans, New York Times, 13 May 2026
His paintings became increasingly concerned with nonhumans, the transmission of energy, and faltering systems.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 11 May 2026
On Thursday, Reuters reported that Japanese officials had stepped in to prop up the faltering yen by buying the currency, citing anonymous sources.
—Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 1 May 2026
Far from faltering, Lip-Bu Tan, who became chief executive of Intel in March 2025, is flourishing.
—Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2026
The faltering fiction offered here certainly doesn’t justify 10 episodes, the runtimes of which range from about 35 minutes to nearly an hour.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 7 Apr. 2026
That deal can't come soon enough for the president, as there are worrisome signs about the overall economy faltering due to the war, and even some Republicans are questioning his mission in the Middle East.
—CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Plus, home shoppers are more cautious given a faltering job market and growing economic uncertainty, meaning fewer homes are being snapped up quickly, Fairweather said.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
Mueller did not see it as his job to speak out—not then, nor in his notoriously faltering testimony to Congress months later.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 6 May 2026
Most of that was driven by faltering corporation tax receipts.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 1 May 2026
The Magic played well before faltering down the stretch and had to win an elimination game in the play-in tournament.
—ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026
In some ways, the pair of them have become symbolic of the hope that this team can rise again after faltering in recent weeks.
—Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
The figures reinforce the extent to which consumer demand is faltering only two years after Tesla began delivering the electric pickup.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
After faltering in the crucial moments of its first postseason telecast, the stakes have now been raised for upcoming presentations.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 15 Apr. 2026
Dubai, in particular, finds its position as the crown jewel of Middle East’s tourism faltering as its airports have been forced to shut temporarily during the conflict.
—Sydney Goh, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026
Unless regulators crack down on these deepfakes, the videos threaten to steer even more patients toward wasteful, potentially dangerous purchases — while further undermining the public’s already faltering trust in medical institutions.
—John Whyte, STAT, 17 Feb. 2026
Noun
Many in town say the struggle to transform Scotia mirrors a larger struggle in Humboldt County, which has been rocked, first by the faltering of its logging industry and more recently by the collapse of its cannabis economy.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
The Reds' season can be described as consistently inconsistent but playing well down the stretch and the New York Mets faltering has led to an opportunity to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2020.
—Jason Hoffman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Sep. 2025
And the media went along with her coverup, despite Biden’s obvious faltering.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
How seriously the club’s owners at Fenway Sports Group (FSG) take this next transfer window will potentially determine how quickly this faltering team get back on track.
—Gregg Evans, New York Times, 13 May 2026
His paintings became increasingly concerned with nonhumans, the transmission of energy, and faltering systems.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 11 May 2026
On Thursday, Reuters reported that Japanese officials had stepped in to prop up the faltering yen by buying the currency, citing anonymous sources.
—Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 1 May 2026
Far from faltering, Lip-Bu Tan, who became chief executive of Intel in March 2025, is flourishing.
—Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2026
The faltering fiction offered here certainly doesn’t justify 10 episodes, the runtimes of which range from about 35 minutes to nearly an hour.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 7 Apr. 2026
That deal can't come soon enough for the president, as there are worrisome signs about the overall economy faltering due to the war, and even some Republicans are questioning his mission in the Middle East.
—CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Plus, home shoppers are more cautious given a faltering job market and growing economic uncertainty, meaning fewer homes are being snapped up quickly, Fairweather said.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
Mueller did not see it as his job to speak out—not then, nor in his notoriously faltering testimony to Congress months later.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
Meanwhile, the company that made their name keeps faltering towards the point of no return.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 6 May 2026
Most of that was driven by faltering corporation tax receipts.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 1 May 2026
The Magic played well before faltering down the stretch and had to win an elimination game in the play-in tournament.
—ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026
In some ways, the pair of them have become symbolic of the hope that this team can rise again after faltering in recent weeks.
—Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
The figures reinforce the extent to which consumer demand is faltering only two years after Tesla began delivering the electric pickup.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
After faltering in the crucial moments of its first postseason telecast, the stakes have now been raised for upcoming presentations.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 15 Apr. 2026
Dubai, in particular, finds its position as the crown jewel of Middle East’s tourism faltering as its airports have been forced to shut temporarily during the conflict.
—Sydney Goh, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026
Unless regulators crack down on these deepfakes, the videos threaten to steer even more patients toward wasteful, potentially dangerous purchases — while further undermining the public’s already faltering trust in medical institutions.
—John Whyte, STAT, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faltering
Noun
-
There can be apathy and hesitation.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
-
For example, during his dominant, 18-point first quarter in the Spurs’ Game 5 win over the Timberwolves, on one play Wembanyama hit a combo of hesitation dribbles into a crossover into a spinning layup over Rudy Gobert.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Fix wobbly furniture or handrails, or ask a friend or family member to help.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
12 May 2026
-
The Minnesota Wild’s big guns showed up in a big way Saturday night, and the Avs looked wobbly for the first time in this tournament in a 5-1 loss in Game 3 at Grand Casino Arena.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Right now, Taylor said, both sides are hesitating.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
Walgreens isn’t hesitating to close stores in parts of Chicago where theft is frequent and there are legitimate concerns about the safety of employees and customers.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Chapman ended up getting turned around and tagged out, but his pause allowed Devers to score.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
9 May 2026
-
Bass, after a brief pause, also said yes.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Hulse felt both hopeful and uncertain.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
What was once a slow and uncertain flow of prospective officers has evolved into a steady stream of qualified candidates, producing record-sized recruit classes.—
Joy Lepola-Stewart,
Baltimore Sun,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Upon your arrival, staffers on the ground floor usher you into elevators that whisk you up 55 stories, the doors opening to knee-wobbling views of the city and the Singapore Strait.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Each increase in weight amplifies these demands, ensuring the robot operates beyond routine conditions while maintaining consistency without wobbling or resets.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The decline in vitamin K uptake is still believed to be related to vaccine and medicine hesitancy, according to both the JAMA study and ProPublica investigation.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
This hesitancy and worry about speaking up is the way free speech dies.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Like many students, Headley is now left in limbo, unsure how finals will be submitted or graded.—
Tori Mason,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
-
The Mets are unsure if his hip led to decreased velocity.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Faltering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faltering. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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