as in overwhelmed
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in lurched
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
2
as in hesitated
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
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Recent Examples of staggered
Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
In September, the council also approved raises for Denver police officers, who will receive staggered pay bumps, adding a cumulative 16% to their salaries over the next three years.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026
The Social Security Administration (SSA) distributes payments on a staggered schedule throughout each month rather than sending them all at once.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
The staggered timing reflects banking practices, rather than differences in payroll.
—Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
The group assembles in a staggered formation and uses hand signals to communicate road hazards and turns.
—Brenda Miranda, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026
At the peak of their global dominance, the group’s members began mandatory military service in South Korea, rolling out solo projects on a staggered schedule.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 21 Mar. 2026
The force includes contingents from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Oklahoma, with units rotating in and out of the District on staggered timelines.
—Steven Beynon, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
Richardson created a staggered evergreen screen of Arborvitae, hydrangea, Karl Foerster grass, and flowering accent trees.
—Megan Johnson, Architectural Digest, 12 Mar. 2026
Caroline Linton, CBS News, 6 May 2026
By the time the Magic staggered into Detroit for Game 7 on Sunday afternoon, the outcome felt less like a question and more like an inevitability.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 May 2026
When Your State’s Medicaid Work Requirement Kicks In The rollout is staggered.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
The transition has to be staggered.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Together the strangers slung Haridasse's arms over their shoulders and staggered to the finish line as a trio.
—Scott Simon, NPR, 25 Apr. 2026
Murray and Johnson staggered with the bench unit.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 18 Apr. 2026
This is when your tiles are laid both horizontally and staggered.
—Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 18 Apr. 2026
The prospect of talks appeared to bolster the tentative ceasefire in the Iran war that has staggered under the weight of Israel’s bombardment of Beirut, Tehran’s continued chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and uncertainty over whether talks can find common ground.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
The board will include two members from each existing school board and three at-large members from anywhere in the county, and elections for the new board won’t begin until 2030, with full staggered terms not in place until 2032.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
In September, the council also approved raises for Denver police officers, who will receive staggered pay bumps, adding a cumulative 16% to their salaries over the next three years.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026
The Social Security Administration (SSA) distributes payments on a staggered schedule throughout each month rather than sending them all at once.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
The staggered timing reflects banking practices, rather than differences in payroll.
—Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
The group assembles in a staggered formation and uses hand signals to communicate road hazards and turns.
—Brenda Miranda, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026
At the peak of their global dominance, the group’s members began mandatory military service in South Korea, rolling out solo projects on a staggered schedule.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 21 Mar. 2026
The force includes contingents from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Oklahoma, with units rotating in and out of the District on staggered timelines.
—Steven Beynon, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
Richardson created a staggered evergreen screen of Arborvitae, hydrangea, Karl Foerster grass, and flowering accent trees.
—Megan Johnson, Architectural Digest, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
Indiana has staggered statewide elections, so Bray is not up for reelection until 2028, but his leadership position could be in jeopardy with the results of Tuesday's election.
—Caroline Linton, CBS News, 6 May 2026
By the time the Magic staggered into Detroit for Game 7 on Sunday afternoon, the outcome felt less like a question and more like an inevitability.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 May 2026
When Your State’s Medicaid Work Requirement Kicks In The rollout is staggered.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
The transition has to be staggered.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Together the strangers slung Haridasse's arms over their shoulders and staggered to the finish line as a trio.
—Scott Simon, NPR, 25 Apr. 2026
Murray and Johnson staggered with the bench unit.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 18 Apr. 2026
This is when your tiles are laid both horizontally and staggered.
—Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 18 Apr. 2026
The prospect of talks appeared to bolster the tentative ceasefire in the Iran war that has staggered under the weight of Israel’s bombardment of Beirut, Tehran’s continued chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and uncertainty over whether talks can find common ground.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for staggered
Adjective
-
Advocates point to insufficient oversight and inadequate funding as systemic problems, while increased pet surrenders during economic downturns strain already overwhelmed rescues and shelters.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
-
Because of this, anyone may become overwhelmed by a social world with many different perspectives and demands, and by the possibility of getting things wrong.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Each assault count corresponds to a moment Mendoza Hernandez’s car lurched forward, about seven seconds apart.—
Scott Lebar. Story produced with AI assistance,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
-
France lurched from republic to dictatorship to empire before cycling back through absolute monarchy, constitutional monarchy, Second Republic, and Second Empire.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
The most likely explanation for the wave-off is that, after Barbashev’s dump-in, LaCombe might have hesitated, if only for a fateful moment, while Eichel went hard after the puck.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
5 May 2026
-
Large oil producers have hesitated to make long-term capital decisions based on a potentially short-term war.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Everyone was so relieved to see how bewildered everyone else was that the feeling in this place was almost festive.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Numerous cryptocurrency novices become bewildered by intricate decals and fluctuating percentages.—
Malana VanTyler,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Armenia is one of the founding members of the CSTO, but its relationships with the organization and Russia have faltered over the past few years.—
Mark Temnycky,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
-
Everton’s form has faltered in recent weeks.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Some looked stunned, others threw up their hands or clapped.—
Camila Gomez,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
-
But within seconds of being knocked back, the responding officers were back up, checking on each other and evacuating stunned residents — including several children — from the rubble of the home, the video shows.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Conservation and breeding efforts shuffled three giraffes around Colorado zoos this year — one returning home to Denver after months away, another joining the Denver herd and a third finding a new home in Colorado Springs, according to zoo officials.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
8 May 2026
-
Carlos Mendoza isn’t to blame, nor are this group of players, who are being shuffled around the field like Yahtzee dice.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
An utterly delectable novel set in Beirut during and after the Lebanese Civil War, about a 72-year-old translator of Western novels into Arabic, an eccentric steeped in books who shares with us her capacious literary sensibility and often bemused vision.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Giddey gave a bemused nod, then a smile.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Staggered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staggered. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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