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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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
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2026
That order has been faltering, flouted repeatedly by the powerful who have faced no consequences for aggression, leaving the world overall more dangerous for everyone else.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
This has always been worrisome, but is even more concerning these days when many students’ literacy levels and math abilities are faltering.
—Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 4 June 2026
But now, as the public understands the consequences of a faltering democracy, more people are talking about it, Drutman said.
—Mary Ellen Klas, Boston Herald, 1 June 2026
The thing is, this presumption appears to be faltering.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
The faltering trust fund will have huge implications for infrastructure spending over the next few years if Congress doesn’t come up with a solution.
—Henry Grabar, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026
Meanwhile, European support for Ukraine appears to be faltering.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 27 May 2026
Even the involuntary action of breathing was labored, and constantly faltering.
—Casey Ross, STAT, 19 May 2026
Anniek Bao, CNBC, 9 June 2026
After faltering in last year’s Div.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 30 May 2026
But now, as the public understands the consequences of our faltering democracy, more people are talking about it, Drutman said.
—Mary Ellen Klas, Mercury News, 26 May 2026
Tangent The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board specifically calls out declining pandemic preparedness funding as a result of faltering political attention.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
With most tropical reefs expected to face conditions like the Gulf’s by 2100—and already faltering under increasingly frequent marine heat waves—that makes the Gulf’s coral a source of valuable genetic information about resilience that could have implications for the rest of the world’s reefs.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 14 May 2026
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
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
And even the dragons almost count as a faltering institution.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2026
That order has been faltering, flouted repeatedly by the powerful who have faced no consequences for aggression, leaving the world overall more dangerous for everyone else.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
This has always been worrisome, but is even more concerning these days when many students’ literacy levels and math abilities are faltering.
—Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 4 June 2026
But now, as the public understands the consequences of a faltering democracy, more people are talking about it, Drutman said.
—Mary Ellen Klas, Boston Herald, 1 June 2026
The thing is, this presumption appears to be faltering.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
The faltering trust fund will have huge implications for infrastructure spending over the next few years if Congress doesn’t come up with a solution.
—Henry Grabar, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026
Meanwhile, European support for Ukraine appears to be faltering.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 27 May 2026
Even the involuntary action of breathing was labored, and constantly faltering.
—Casey Ross, STAT, 19 May 2026
Verb
China's economy has shown signs of faltering following a strong first-quarter.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 9 June 2026
After faltering in last year’s Div.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 30 May 2026
But now, as the public understands the consequences of our faltering democracy, more people are talking about it, Drutman said.
—Mary Ellen Klas, Mercury News, 26 May 2026
Tangent The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board specifically calls out declining pandemic preparedness funding as a result of faltering political attention.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
With most tropical reefs expected to face conditions like the Gulf’s by 2100—and already faltering under increasingly frequent marine heat waves—that makes the Gulf’s coral a source of valuable genetic information about resilience that could have implications for the rest of the world’s reefs.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 14 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faltering
Noun
-
That hesitation to ride in an AV, however, is highly dependent on the specific situation, the study found.—
Ed Garsten,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
The Chicago Board of Education renewed the contracts with six charter school operators Wednesday, despite recent hesitations from some board members about approving long-term agreements after a slew of financial troubles in the sector.—
Kate Perez,
Chicago Tribune,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Fans quickly fell for the pup's wobbly walks and curious personality, helping turn the tiny rodent into a social media favorite.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
-
Epistemically, there is something a bit wobbly about using chatbots to determine whether a piece of prose was written by chatbots.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The book does often feel like a recording of a mental jam session, but there is also a sense of being guided by a kind of hesitating yet urgent voice that needs to get things figured out.—
Craig Morgan Teicher,
Literary Hub,
1 June 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
Verb
-
January 20 – February 18 The task gets easier when the instructions stop wobbling.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
10 June 2026
-
Art schools, like all schools, are wobbling under the illogic of the cost-benefit math.—
Katy Siegel,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Most recently, Warnock had criticized the pause in federal food aid known as SNAP.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Dec. 2025
-
Temporary national programs During major crises like the one that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, the government may enact short-term protections like stimulus payments or collection pauses to help borrowers who cannot meet their payment obligations.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
8 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Because neurobiological evidence can be seen as especially objective by a jury, even when its application to a specific case is uncertain, judges may be cautious about admitting it.—
Adeline Goss,
New Yorker,
11 June 2026
-
Between Richards’ health, Ream’s age and the uncertain roles of McKenzie and Robinson, center back is the USMNT’s most fluid position.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Twenty minutes later, Balogun scored again, after shaking off a tackle and sending the ball just inside the goalpost.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
13 June 2026
-
In the post-game interview, asked how the victory felt to share with his father, Brunson paused shaking his head, too overwhelmed to speak.—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
Smith shared, citing his and Henson’s lack of a traditional film or music training as a reason for the hesitancy.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
Stepping straight into playoff hockey for the first time in his NHL career, Coghlan has played on instinct, with a surprising lack of hesitancy.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Faltering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faltering. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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