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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of faltering
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
Alec Lewis, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2025
Lebanon’s faltering banking system.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
Global meat consumption is still climbing and alternative protein sales are faltering.
—Bloomberg News, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2025
Waller, a key voice on the Fed’s policy-setting committee, made clear his current outlook is dominated by concerns about a faltering labor market.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025
Subsequent congressional investigations, post-campaign books, and news stories have only hardened public opinion that, with his mental acuity faltering and physical stamina limited, Biden should have stepped aside after a single term.
—David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2025
However, Indiana’s college-going goal is faltering, with fewer than 52% of 2023 graduates enrolling directly to higher education, the state’s lowest rate on record.
—Caroline Beck, IndyStar, 3 Oct. 2025
With the job market faltering and new tariffs adding uncertainty to the economy, futures markets are pricing in as many as two additional cuts — totaling 75 basis points — by the end of the year, according to the CME FedWatch tool, which tracks investor expectations for Fed policy.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2025
Washington — The Federal Reserve on Wednesday lowered interest rates for the first time since December to support America’s faltering labor market.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025
Scott Horsley, NPR, 29 Oct. 2025
After faltering in the semifinals of the 2024 WNBA playoffs, Wilson and the Aces capped off a dominant postseason run Friday by sweeping the Phoenix Mercury with a 97-86 win.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 11 Oct. 2025
History will probably remember this Ravens team for faltering because of injuries, namely to their starting quarterback.
—Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
The Lions moved to 2-1, while the Ravens are now 1-2 after faltering late in this game.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2025
China's housing downturn has stretched into a fourth year, with prices, sales, investment and construction activity faltering across the board.
—Anniek Bao,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2025
Investors’ long-running enthusiasm for artificial intelligence showed signs of faltering late Tuesday and early Wednesday morning as tech stocks tumbled.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2025
Because real power isn’t about never faltering.
—Yann Dang, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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
The defense is faltering, the offensive line is a mess, and no one knows what McCarthy is going to do.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2025
Lebanon’s faltering banking system.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
Global meat consumption is still climbing and alternative protein sales are faltering.
—Bloomberg News, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2025
Waller, a key voice on the Fed’s policy-setting committee, made clear his current outlook is dominated by concerns about a faltering labor market.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025
Subsequent congressional investigations, post-campaign books, and news stories have only hardened public opinion that, with his mental acuity faltering and physical stamina limited, Biden should have stepped aside after a single term.
—David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2025
However, Indiana’s college-going goal is faltering, with fewer than 52% of 2023 graduates enrolling directly to higher education, the state’s lowest rate on record.
—Caroline Beck, IndyStar, 3 Oct. 2025
With the job market faltering and new tariffs adding uncertainty to the economy, futures markets are pricing in as many as two additional cuts — totaling 75 basis points — by the end of the year, according to the CME FedWatch tool, which tracks investor expectations for Fed policy.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2025
Washington — The Federal Reserve on Wednesday lowered interest rates for the first time since December to support America’s faltering labor market.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
That reinforced the idea that inflation concerns should take a backseat to worries about faltering job growth.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 29 Oct. 2025
After faltering in the semifinals of the 2024 WNBA playoffs, Wilson and the Aces capped off a dominant postseason run Friday by sweeping the Phoenix Mercury with a 97-86 win.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 11 Oct. 2025
History will probably remember this Ravens team for faltering because of injuries, namely to their starting quarterback.
—Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
The Lions moved to 2-1, while the Ravens are now 1-2 after faltering late in this game.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2025
China's housing downturn has stretched into a fourth year, with prices, sales, investment and construction activity faltering across the board.
—Anniek Bao,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2025
Investors’ long-running enthusiasm for artificial intelligence showed signs of faltering late Tuesday and early Wednesday morning as tech stocks tumbled.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2025
Because real power isn’t about never faltering.
—Yann Dang, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faltering
Noun
-
So there's no hesitation in that regard.—
EW Staff,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Tuesday's result capped a tumultuous final month that saw national Republican condemnation, Democratic hesitation and equivocation, and a barrage of attack ads.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Southern and central Ohio generally see less lake-effect snow, but cold snaps from a wobbly polar vortex can still bring notable snow events — especially when storms track nearby.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Californians aren’t rushing to buy either homes or new vehicles – a sign of skittish consumers in a wobbly economy.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Chamandy said that, because of the ambiguity associated with the tariffs, companies are still hesitating to change suppliers until the dust settles.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Nov. 2025
-
For now, Ian’s hesitating to tell Mike.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Tampa Bay’s defeat to New England gave the exec some pause on the Buccaneers, while the injury situation in San Francisco seems too much to overcome.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
-
After a Boston appeals court ruled late Friday to not immediately intervene, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued a ruling pausing the requirement to distribute full SNAP payments until the appeals court rules on whether to issue a more lasting pause, the Associated Press said.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
At the moment, its age is still uncertain.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Nov. 2025
-
How Barton will advance his campaigns now is uncertain.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 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
-
Trips to Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur will be challenging, but the team are getting better at wobbling without falling over.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Wyatt gave Minnie some distance, which made sense after Kylie spoke about her eldest daughter’s hesitancy around characters at the theme park.—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Liberty’s own hesitancy to committing is based on her past as well as her day-to-day dealing with [divorce] clients.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
As Altadena rebuilds, Good Neighbor has, essentially, become a daily support group, where neighbors can find comfort and a sense of permanence when everything else is unsure.—
Esther Tseng,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Many men in the facility, like Chacón, were unsure why they were accused of terrorist activity, the story detailed.—
Tamia Fowlkes,
jsonline.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Faltering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faltering. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.
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