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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in wobbly
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faltering
Noun
-
Music can reduce hesitation in emergencies by providing a familiar and structured rhythm.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
29 July 2025 -
Still, the key to first-person address, as that great Renaissance master Michel de Montaigne understood, is not to subtract complication but to supply it, registering doubt, hesitation, and irony even while developing an argument.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
28 July 2025
Noun
-
Even though no funding has been cut, Jackson condemned the administration, contending the effect of the pause is going to be massive and could result in North Carolina firing about 1,000 educators.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 July 2025
-
Decisions are made, the next task appears, and there’s little pause to examine what worked or what missed.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
The shift is rapid, relentless, and, for millions of Americans, deeply uncertain.—
John Hope Bryant,
Time,
31 July 2025
-
Alexander Isak is training individually at former club Real Sociedad with his future at Newcastle United uncertain.—
Guillermo Rai,
New York Times,
31 July 2025
Noun
-
Still, the uncertainty surrounding his foot — and, frankly, his wage dispute — could likely yield to some hesitancy.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
25 July 2025
-
Others have suggested that there may be a link to more widespread hesitancy around government intervention on individual health that ramped up during the Covid-19 pandemic.—
Deidre McPhillips,
CNN Money,
24 July 2025
Verb
-
Symptoms like a fast heart rate, or shortness of breath, shaking and chills, confusion or lethargy.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
24 Dec. 2024
-
In the video, a terrified Archie can be seen frozen, staring and shaking.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Local media outlets earlier in the day said that Ishiba was unsure of his future and would take a call on whether to continue as prime minister in August.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
23 July 2025
-
If the Dodgers are unable to make a deal with Cleveland, there are other options on the market, but many teams are unsure of their path leading up to the trade deadline.—
Hunter Mulholland,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 July 2025
Noun
-
Yet there remains a hesitance about criticizing the president directly.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
-
Still, there is a hesitance to accept psychedelics in the psychiatric community.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
The situation is impossible, irresolute— the B.J. Vineses and priests of the world shouldn’t get to walk away scot free.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2025
-
The prevailing sense among investors and market handicappers entering the month was to expect choppy, irresolute action full of potential scares.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
12 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Faltering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faltering. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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