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
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
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Voters in the once-reliable Labor stronghold of Makerfield handed Burnham nearly 55% of the vote, rebuking both Starmer’s faltering government and surging right-wing challenger Reform UK.
—
Kwiyeon Ha,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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 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
Ananya Chetia,
CNBC,
22 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
However, despite a stellar rotation and lineup, a faltering bullpen could derail the Dodgers' World Series hopes, potentially leading to roster moves if performance doesn't improve.
—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Voters in the once-reliable Labor stronghold of Makerfield handed Burnham nearly 55% of the vote, rebuking both Starmer’s faltering government and surging right-wing challenger Reform UK.
—
Kwiyeon Ha,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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 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
Verb
Chris Jung | Nurphoto | Getty Images Shares of Nvidia have been faltering recently — and Kalshi traders predict that what the company can charge for chips is also declining.
—
Ananya Chetia,
CNBC,
22 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
-
What drives the hesitation is rarely bad code.
-
At the center of KeyBanc’s hesitation is Starship, the giant reusable rocket that Musk, the CEO, has described as critical to the future of satellite deployment, deep-space exploration and, eventually, colonization of Mars.
Adjective
-
Basic, an obscure album of oddball electronic rhythms and supremely wobbly guitar released in 1984 by Lou Reed collaborators Robert Quine and Fred Maher.
-
On March 4, the walls of a Travis County courtroom in Austin felt wobbly with grief.
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.
-
While their rivals started spending significant sums of money as soon as the 2024-25 season finished, Spurs wasted a couple of weeks hesitating about the long-term future of then head coach Ange Postecoglou before replacing him with Thomas Frank.
Verb
-
Art schools, like all schools, are wobbling under the illogic of the cost-benefit math.
-
Your calm precision can keep the whole plan from wobbling.
Noun
-
That pause is the whole story for anyone who holds an insurance policy, because some of the rules in the firing line decide how the algorithms that price your cover are allowed to behave.
-
If someone urges you to splurge, smile, breathe, and pause.
Adjective
-
For now, advocates say preparation and persistence are critical as the community faces an uncertain future.
-
The bold story choice, which reunites the staff for what may be their final kitchen service as the restaurant faces an uncertain future, was met with enthusiasm from the cast.
Verb
-
With a quick and creative offensive attack producing goals in front of stadium-shaking home crowds, the Americans have already won their group and booked their place in the knockout round.
-
In a major rupture, strong shaking could cause severe damage near the fault and in areas built on soft or water-saturated soils, which can amplify shaking.
Noun
-
Part of it is a hesitancy to trade veterans on expiring contracts (prior to this season’s trades with Buffalo) to get picks back.
-
Another common problem for leaders is dealing with the pressure to innovate or the hesitancy to invest from the board.
Cite this Entry
“Faltering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faltering. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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