Synonyms of falters

falters

verb

present tense third-person singular of falter

1

as in hesitates

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

• hesitates
• vacillates
• wavers
• staggers
• waits
• halts
• dithers
• debates
• teeters
• hangs back
• pauses
• wobbles
• scruples
• balances
• lingers
• sways
• ponders
• dawdles
• procrastinates
• shilly-shallies
• delays
• deliberates
• weighs
• haws
• chickens (out)
• oscillates
• backs down
• considers
• equivocates
• hems
• dallies
• hedges
• waffles
• pussyfoots

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• decides
• plunges (in)
• dives (in)
• continues
• stirs
• advances
• budges

2

as in trembles

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

• trembles
• wobbles
• shakes
• shudders
• wavers
• rocks
• lurches
• totters
• vibrates
• stumbles
• quivers
• teeters
• flounders
• staggers
• toddles
• reels
• weaves
• careens
• quakes
• quavers

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of falters

Lucy’s constant sense of invention sometimes falters under the album’s new, megawatt spotlight, lacking the enticing mystery that gives their best music its power. — H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2026

Power play falters For the first time this season, the Oilers power play was a no-show, going 0-for-3 in the first period. — Janson Duench, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

But Friedlich falters at making those exchanges spark with a sense of the real. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026

The third such report from the powerful Board of Supervisors last week is very similar to language in a Paramount statement of September 8 detailing harsh consequences if the merger falters. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026

The opposite political party of whichever leads the White House fares well, while the leading party falters. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Sep. 2026

American military resources are stretched and political pressure in Washington is mounting, while Iran’s economy falters. — David Rising, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

This leadership vacuum raises serious questions about the agencies' ability to craft meaningful crypto rules, especially if the Senate's Clarity Act vote falters. — Cleve Mesidor, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026

While the federal government remains indispensable in public health, these state-level collaborations demonstrated that regional governance can emerge quickly when national leadership falters. — John Eger, Mercury News, 17 July 2026