STAGGER Synonyms: 71 Similar and Opposite Words

stagger

verb

ˈsta-gər

Definition of stagger

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

Relevance

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 show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of stagger The rollout will be staggered, starting with elementary school students in 2030. — CBS News, 26 June 2026 What’s more, IBM’s plans call for the transistor pair to be slightly staggered rather than directly in line as the monolithic process produces. — IEEE Spectrum, 25 June 2026 Steely and deliberate songwriting that casually staggers down the line between rhythm and melody, laced with loose yet conscious jams. — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 June 2026 To ensure Miami 305 can still meet the league's minimum roster requirements, the suspensions will be staggered. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for stagger

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stagger

Verb

Once, somewhere in southern Virginia, Dad performed the customary lurch off the highway in the direction of a promising barbecue counter.

— Rachel Tepper Paley, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026
The same boom-and-bust dependency on the oil industry, whose profits were now funnelled through the regime and its allies, kept the country lurching from one crisis to the next.

— Armando Ledezma, New Yorker, 30 June 2026

Definition of lurch

Verb

Current training methods, such as reinforcement learning, can produce robots that are very good at consistently performing a specific task under very specific conditions—but such robots may falter on the same task under different conditions.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 7 July 2026
Without this common utility, even the most complex of war machines will falter.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 6 July 2026

Definition of falter

Verb

In an accompanying cartoon, Spark is caricatured as a sulking giant, tottering above the Tuscan countryside in a pair of high heels.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 June 2026
Among them a City boy wearing three Fit-Bit-type devices, two beautiful Middle Eastern sisters, an outrageously pompous elderly American (sorry; eavesdropping), and several Imelda Marcos lookalikes, tottering out of the treatment rooms with, somehow, their elaborate hairstyles still intact.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026

Definition of totter

Verb

And women who suspect their period pain is more severe than normal should not hesitate to speak with a health care provider, especially if symptoms are affecting their quality of life.

— Daryl Austin, USA Today, 7 July 2026
In the second half, Freese stepped off his line to control a ball, hesitated, stubbed his foot against the ground, and lost the ball.

— Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 7 July 2026

Definition of hesitate

Verb

Police continue to investigate why the driver was weaving and drove into the pole, Becchina said.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2026
Residents complained about teenagers popping wheelies through shopping centers, blowing stop signs, weaving around pedestrians and treating greenways like race courses.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 7 July 2026

Definition of weave

Verb

After a chance meeting saving the life of a reporter, Dez stumbles across a vast conspiracy and now must stop the forces intent on keeping their secrets safe.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 6 July 2026
The hole was discovered in early April when a volunteer on a weekend cemetery clean-up day stumbled upon it.

— Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2026

Definition of stumble

Verb

The Chicago Cubs have been shuffling the lower levels of their organization ahead of the trade deadline, looking to recapture some strong momentum from the beginning of the season to help drive a playoff push in the second half.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
One Wednesday evening in May, at the boutique hotel Dream Hollywood — located just off the Walk of Fame — a young hotel staff member shuffled over to her co-worker to discuss a special guest on the top floor.

— Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026

Definition of shuffle

Browse Nearby Words

stages

stagger

staggered

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Style

“Stagger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stagger. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of stagger

verb

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