1
as in to lurch
to move forward while swaying from side to side
I was so tired last night that I just staggered upstairs to bed without eating dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to falter
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
a daunting problem that would make even the most decisive person stagger just a bit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of stagger
Cheng likes to build muni bond ladders, which means staggering the maturity dates of multiple bonds.
—
Michelle Fox, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2025
The logistical feat those intrepid women accomplished staggers the mind of any contemporary author.
—Adrian Miller, Southern Living, 28 Oct. 2025
For his part, Gonzalez staggers outside and falls to his knees.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Oct. 2025
To get through the season and the playoffs, staggering the minutes of Green and Horford is logical, even with Quintin Post picking up some center minutes.
—Jannelle Moore, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stagger
Michelle Fox, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2025
The logistical feat those intrepid women accomplished staggers the mind of any contemporary author.
—Adrian Miller, Southern Living, 28 Oct. 2025
For his part, Gonzalez staggers outside and falls to his knees.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Oct. 2025
To get through the season and the playoffs, staggering the minutes of Green and Horford is logical, even with Quintin Post picking up some center minutes.
—Jannelle Moore, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stagger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stagger
Verb
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This can result in a kind of emotional whiplash, with the tone of the videos lurching between joy and devastation.—
Lindsay Lowe,
Parents,
8 Nov. 2025
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Perry’s films can lurch from romance to madcap Madea comedy to skeletons-in-the-closet family drama and back…all in the space of 20 minutes.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Rayo began 2023-24 well under Iraola’s successor Francisco Rodriguez but then started to falter.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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The Rams did not falter and an 80-yard kickoff return touchdown for Jameson Bongiolatti cut the deficit to 21-7.—
Brian Roach,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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This is a universe in which towers totter above precipices, cellars drip hollowly and women wear impossible dresses in the snow.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
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On the floor, waist-high piles of books tottered like miniature leaning towers of Pisa. My father has always been an avid learner and reader.—
The Christian Science Monitor,
Christian Science Monitor,
12 June 2025
Verb
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But Maye doesn’t hesitate to break the pocket and scramble towards daylight when things break down.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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Many people like the idea of innovation but hesitate to share the road with fully autonomous vehicles.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Bend in the River weaves unpredictably between the three films, the narrative – like a river flowing – assembled with the very considerable assistance of editor Jeff Malmberg.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
10 Nov. 2025
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In decades past, CNN was known in advertising circles for being very cautious about weaving commercials into its news coverage.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Although the discovery has only now been formally studied, cavers from the Czech Speleological Society first stumbled upon the phenomenon in 2022 during an expedition in Vromoner Canyon.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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Uber reported strong growth in its third-quarter earnings report on Wednesday, but stumbled on the bottom line after absorbing a $479 million charge for what the company described as undisclosed legal and regulatory matters.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In the 1930s, rolling black dust storms blanketed America’s Great Plains, uprooting topsoil and crops across 100 million acres of land.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
10 Nov. 2025
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The iconic 12th century Ajloun Castle overlooks rolling hills and olive groves, with dramatic panoramas and drone-friendly views.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In September, Spotify added the ability to free users search for and play specific songs, rather than being forced to head directly to shuffled playlists or albums, though users were limited to one song at a time before the app started to shuffle.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
8 Nov. 2025
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The Royals shuffled their hitting department after the 2025 season concluded.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stagger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stagger. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.
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