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
Related Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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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
Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
That change eventually happened in the technical area, with Igor Tudor replacing Frank, but the coach with a reputation for breathing new life into faltering clubs on the continent is having no such impact in north London.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
First-time nominee Jordan could ride this wave in a now wide-open Best Actor race, as Timothée Chalamet has been faltering.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 2 Mar. 2026
African democracies are faltering, some ceding ground to Russia and China.
—Alexanderia Baker-Haidara, semafor.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Biden's bid for the presidential nomination was faltering until the victory catapulted him to the front of the field.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Letter writer kept cancer diagnosis private to avoid people’s reactions, but that plan is faltering as illness progresses.
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2026
As of Thursday, other digital assets like ether and solana were also down 24% and 26% for the week to date, respectively — a sign investors’ confidence in the entire crypto market is faltering.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2026
The fact that the NCAA couldn’t hold him out has inspired other faltering pros to reverse course.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Zach Harper, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Now, as the conflict has shown signs of widening to other countries, including Lebanon and Bahrain, traditional safe-haven assets are showing signs of faltering.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2026
Even if things don’t go exactly as planned, you’re braced to make any necessary adjustments without faltering.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 23 Feb. 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
The program also pledges to fulfill conditions for adopting the euro currency by 2030, and to invest in Hungary's faltering state health care and public transportation sectors.
—Arkansas Online, 16 Feb. 2026
Another cousin, the son of my industrialist uncle, has given up regattas and the hedonist’s life for a position in his father’s company that is, like all companies in Turkey, faltering under the tremendous burden of an economy in tailspin.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Tesla reported its first-ever decline in annual revenue, with sales faltering across three of the past four quarters.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 29 Jan. 2026
Darnold has also found some big-game redemption after faltering for the Minnesota Vikings late in the season last year.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 18 Jan. 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
Afeela is entering the market at a time when federal support for EVs is low and public enthusiasm is faltering.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
That change eventually happened in the technical area, with Igor Tudor replacing Frank, but the coach with a reputation for breathing new life into faltering clubs on the continent is having no such impact in north London.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
First-time nominee Jordan could ride this wave in a now wide-open Best Actor race, as Timothée Chalamet has been faltering.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 2 Mar. 2026
African democracies are faltering, some ceding ground to Russia and China.
—Alexanderia Baker-Haidara, semafor.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Biden's bid for the presidential nomination was faltering until the victory catapulted him to the front of the field.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Letter writer kept cancer diagnosis private to avoid people’s reactions, but that plan is faltering as illness progresses.
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2026
As of Thursday, other digital assets like ether and solana were also down 24% and 26% for the week to date, respectively — a sign investors’ confidence in the entire crypto market is faltering.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2026
The fact that the NCAA couldn’t hold him out has inspired other faltering pros to reverse course.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Verb
Tatum’s injury was supposed to be a big reason the conference was so wide-open, along with the Indiana Pacers faltering because of Tyrese Haliburton’s own Achilles injury.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Now, as the conflict has shown signs of widening to other countries, including Lebanon and Bahrain, traditional safe-haven assets are showing signs of faltering.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2026
Even if things don’t go exactly as planned, you’re braced to make any necessary adjustments without faltering.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 23 Feb. 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
The program also pledges to fulfill conditions for adopting the euro currency by 2030, and to invest in Hungary's faltering state health care and public transportation sectors.
—Arkansas Online, 16 Feb. 2026
Another cousin, the son of my industrialist uncle, has given up regattas and the hedonist’s life for a position in his father’s company that is, like all companies in Turkey, faltering under the tremendous burden of an economy in tailspin.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Tesla reported its first-ever decline in annual revenue, with sales faltering across three of the past four quarters.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 29 Jan. 2026
Darnold has also found some big-game redemption after faltering for the Minnesota Vikings late in the season last year.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faltering
Noun
-
While that hesitation is healthy (generally, reimagining your routine as often as social media encourages isn’t always best), turns out there is actual merit to tweaking your products along with the evolving seasons.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
19 Mar. 2026
-
His short responses feel distant, and his hesitation comes across as disinterest.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The price is wrong House hunters clearly can’t stomach stubbornly high prices, as the pandemic-era price surge has stuck despite slumping sales, costlier mortgages and a wobbly business climate.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Brewing economic conditions suggest, however, that when Warsh takes office, presumably in May, central bank policymakers could be facing both a wobbly jobs picture and sticky inflation made worse by spiraling energy prices.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Academy seems comfortable celebrating individual excellence within horror while hesitating to crown its films as definitive achievements.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Palmer is the center of the film and building the cast around her initially had Riley hesitating.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
My mother took only the slightest pause.—
Han Ong,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Last week, Borough President Vanessa Gibson said the multi-day event had been put on pause this year to the budget deficit.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Others say the divide is real, even if its long-term political impact remains uncertain.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Cooper remains uncertain whether those efforts will be sustained.—
Tony Plohetski,
Austin American Statesman,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
From Earth’s vantage point—right along the faraway magnetar’s equator—the wobbling disk acted like a film projector’s shutter, periodically occluding our view of the dead star supercharging SN 2024afav.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Employers unexpectedly cut jobs in February, adding to concerns that the labor market is wobbling.—
Alaa Shahine Salha,
semafor.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Finally, Jim said that our hesitancy to sell is due to fear that the company will figure out how to solve its AI woes.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
-
That hesitancy has never fully disappeared.—
Ken Toltz,
Denver Post,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
While there have been repatriation flights organized for South Africans, the couple did not pursue that avenue, being unsure of whether the government could — or would — assist in evacuating two citizens who live outside outside the country.—
Blane Bachelor,
CNN Money,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Staff were unsure what food items on the steam table line were on time control.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Faltering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faltering. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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