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
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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
as in overwhelmed
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of staggered
Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
Walkers can take in the staggered plots of orange groves and prickly pear bushes in Marsalforn Valley or soak up the quiet back streets of Gharb, the island’s westernmost town, overlooking Dwerja.
—AFAR Media, 28 Aug. 2025
Secured by receivables, inventory or equipment, ABLs often carry lower spreads and can be structured with staggered maturities.
—Meelan Gupta, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
The college football season had more staggered starts prior to the 1990s.
—Seth Emerson, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Plus, the staggered design features drainage holes on each level, which allows water to trickle from one bin to the next for more efficient irrigation.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Aug. 2025
The president also appoints the six other members of the Fed’s governing board, who can serve staggered terms of up to 14 years.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
Stack them all on one finger for a bold look, or mix and match a few across each hand for a more staggered look.
—Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 12 Aug. 2025
Wall Street has not only worried about the impact of tariffs on Apple's bottom line, but the company's staggered rollout of its AI offerings, too.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2025
Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2025
Fed governors are appointed to staggered, 14-year terms to ensure that no single president can appoint too many.
—Christopher Rugaber, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
The events will be somewhat staggered, fueling a stretch of megatourism rather than a more concentrated period with everything happening at once.
—State House News Service, Boston Herald, 30 Aug. 2025
The Federal Reserve Act of 1913, which brought the Fed into existence, sets staggered 14-year terms for governors and doesn't expressly provide for at-will removal.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Ecclestone was removed as the championship’s boss, and his successors were staggered to see how underdeveloped F1’s marketing was overall.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Onboarding is time-consuming, especially when employee start dates are staggered.
—Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Wraparound terraces are staggered for privacy and shade, and a dramatic canyon cuts through the center of the building, where a 75-foot-long translucent acrylic pool bridges the gap between the rooftop terraces of the building’s north and south wings—Miami’s first of its kind.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 7 Aug. 2025
These deals are staggered over multiple years.
—Alex Sherman, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
Like several quasi-independent regulatory agencies in the executive branch, the STB consists of five partisan board members with staggered five-year terms who oversee a staff.
—Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
Walkers can take in the staggered plots of orange groves and prickly pear bushes in Marsalforn Valley or soak up the quiet back streets of Gharb, the island’s westernmost town, overlooking Dwerja.
—AFAR Media, 28 Aug. 2025
Secured by receivables, inventory or equipment, ABLs often carry lower spreads and can be structured with staggered maturities.
—Meelan Gupta, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
The college football season had more staggered starts prior to the 1990s.
—Seth Emerson, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Plus, the staggered design features drainage holes on each level, which allows water to trickle from one bin to the next for more efficient irrigation.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Aug. 2025
The president also appoints the six other members of the Fed’s governing board, who can serve staggered terms of up to 14 years.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
Stack them all on one finger for a bold look, or mix and match a few across each hand for a more staggered look.
—Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 12 Aug. 2025
Wall Street has not only worried about the impact of tariffs on Apple's bottom line, but the company's staggered rollout of its AI offerings, too.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Terry staggered to the lobby and collapsed, according to court documents.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2025
Fed governors are appointed to staggered, 14-year terms to ensure that no single president can appoint too many.
—Christopher Rugaber, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
The events will be somewhat staggered, fueling a stretch of megatourism rather than a more concentrated period with everything happening at once.
—State House News Service, Boston Herald, 30 Aug. 2025
The Federal Reserve Act of 1913, which brought the Fed into existence, sets staggered 14-year terms for governors and doesn't expressly provide for at-will removal.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Ecclestone was removed as the championship’s boss, and his successors were staggered to see how underdeveloped F1’s marketing was overall.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Onboarding is time-consuming, especially when employee start dates are staggered.
—Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Wraparound terraces are staggered for privacy and shade, and a dramatic canyon cuts through the center of the building, where a 75-foot-long translucent acrylic pool bridges the gap between the rooftop terraces of the building’s north and south wings—Miami’s first of its kind.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 7 Aug. 2025
These deals are staggered over multiple years.
—Alex Sherman, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for staggered
Verb
-
Stripped of a reliable majority, Macron's governments have lurched from one showdown to the next.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
-
As bystanders watched, the luxury yacht lurched to one side, tilting dangerously before taking on water.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Some executives hesitated, unsure of what to expect.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
-
While America has not hesitated to use oceanographic ships to send messages by transiting the Taiwan Strait or probing interesting waters near rivals, China has been far more adept at employing research ships to challenge status quo.—
Craig Hooper,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Bengals Offense Under Siege For much of the game, the Bengals looked overwhelmed in the trenches, especially while on offense.—
Mike Straw,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Their offense sputtered, managing only 218 total yards, while their defense was overwhelmed, giving up 586 total yards, including 386 through the air.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Hopes of a rail revolution that three years ago was poised to transform connectivity between major cities seem to have faltered.—
Ben Jones,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The New England Patriots faltered in the second half to start the Mike Vrabel era with a 20-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium.—
Tim Crowley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Wednesday confronts Bianca, who is bewildered about her Siren-song not sticking; Wednesday is taking control of things now and Bianca needs to trust her.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Layered in cream, bruised, bewildered, bald.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Budget cuts are about to bring big changes to San Diego’s 37 neighborhood library branches — including shorter hours, shuffled staff and rescheduled activities.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Over the past two months, he’s been shuffled through three detention centers despite attempts to pay a bond set by the immigration judge.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Micah Parsons is officially a member of the Green Bay Packers, and members of the Dallas Cowboys are just as stunned as the rest of the NFL world.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
This time, a packed house at Arena Riga was the one left in a stunned silence.—
Bobby Krivitsky,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Green Bay, which rolled past Detroit, 27-13, in its season-opener is now the favorite to win the NFC North.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Piqued by the remarkable successes of the far-right National Rally (RN) in the European elections in June 2024, the president rolled the dice on a parliamentary vote.—
Saskya Vandoorne,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Staggered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staggered. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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