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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of staggered
Megan Johnson, Architectural Digest, 12 Mar. 2026
The next day at La Belle Helene, former competitor Jamie Lynch’s Charlotte restaurant, the chefs cook on a staggered schedule to serve their potato dishes, and almost immediately, Day and Nana are in trouble.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
Start planting seeds after the last frost on a staggered schedule, and enjoy the cheery flowers all summer long.
—Michelle Darrisaw, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026
With such an ambitious undertaking, the staggered opening will help chefs and staff get their bearings, said Robert Castellon, the director of operations at Hi Hospitality Group, the restaurant group behind the project.
—Helen Freund, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
Nastro noted the shutdown comes during an elevated but staggered travel period.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 18 Feb. 2026
The staggered rollout of the new NHL/NHLPA CBA, however, has closed this avenue for the Canucks.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Carryover funding from previous fiscal years is allowing services to continue to be introduced on a staggered schedule.
—Raynee Howell, Oklahoma Watch, 9 Feb. 2026
Members of the commission will be unpaid volunteers, serving staggered three-year terms, per the city.
—Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
David staggered away as the video cuts off.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2026
Everyone was just staggered by events — gobsmacked — and there was near universal agreement that what was happening in Afghanistan was a fiasco of historic proportions.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 12 Mar. 2026
Stamina and technique aside, Spyres delivered a deeply human hero staggered by his own vulnerability.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2026
Commissioners serve two year terms, which are staggered so about half of them expire each January.
—Luke Harold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
The result is a heavy blow to Starmer, whose leadership has staggered through a series of crises and suffered a near-death experience earlier this month.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Starmer is in trouble The result is a heavy blow to Starmer, whose leadership has staggered through a series of crises and suffered a near-death experience earlier this month.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
Here, the blade tips are staggered so that a following rotor blade does not intersect the vortex generated by the one ahead of it, reducing noise and vibration.
—David Szondy
february 24, New Atlas, 24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Richardson created a staggered evergreen screen of Arborvitae, hydrangea, Karl Foerster grass, and flowering accent trees.
—Megan Johnson, Architectural Digest, 12 Mar. 2026
The next day at La Belle Helene, former competitor Jamie Lynch’s Charlotte restaurant, the chefs cook on a staggered schedule to serve their potato dishes, and almost immediately, Day and Nana are in trouble.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
Start planting seeds after the last frost on a staggered schedule, and enjoy the cheery flowers all summer long.
—Michelle Darrisaw, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026
With such an ambitious undertaking, the staggered opening will help chefs and staff get their bearings, said Robert Castellon, the director of operations at Hi Hospitality Group, the restaurant group behind the project.
—Helen Freund, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
Nastro noted the shutdown comes during an elevated but staggered travel period.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 18 Feb. 2026
The staggered rollout of the new NHL/NHLPA CBA, however, has closed this avenue for the Canucks.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Carryover funding from previous fiscal years is allowing services to continue to be introduced on a staggered schedule.
—Raynee Howell, Oklahoma Watch, 9 Feb. 2026
Members of the commission will be unpaid volunteers, serving staggered three-year terms, per the city.
—Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
When Camus first imagined great replacement theory in Hérault on the eve of the twenty-first century, his conspiracy theory staggered around the fringes of global politics.
—Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
David staggered away as the video cuts off.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2026
Everyone was just staggered by events — gobsmacked — and there was near universal agreement that what was happening in Afghanistan was a fiasco of historic proportions.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 12 Mar. 2026
Stamina and technique aside, Spyres delivered a deeply human hero staggered by his own vulnerability.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2026
Commissioners serve two year terms, which are staggered so about half of them expire each January.
—Luke Harold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
The result is a heavy blow to Starmer, whose leadership has staggered through a series of crises and suffered a near-death experience earlier this month.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Starmer is in trouble The result is a heavy blow to Starmer, whose leadership has staggered through a series of crises and suffered a near-death experience earlier this month.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
Here, the blade tips are staggered so that a following rotor blade does not intersect the vortex generated by the one ahead of it, reducing noise and vibration.
—David Szondy
february 24, New Atlas, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for staggered
Adjective
-
Gary Herbst's sister Linda Dane seemed a bit overwhelmed.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Slack struck a chord and has been overwhelmed reading thousands of comments on his videos.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Over the course of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s term, CPS has lurched from budget crisis to budget crisis, able only to muddle through due to record-breaking mayoral declarations of tax-increment-financing surpluses.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Elsewhere in town, the original creature, played by Christian Bale, has lurched here from Austria still on his lonely quest for companionship.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But for the most part, Knight hesitated to kill his darlings.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
-
New York City’s history is filled with mayors who voiced strong opinions on all manner of international issues and rarely hesitated to give voice to them.—
Michael Powell,
The Atlantic,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Be careful about coming on so strong that others are bewildered or defensive.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Just a direct, almost bewildered question aimed at the creator.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When the Avs faltered before the Olympic break, the Stars reeled them back in.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The greenback has also exhibited defensive characteristics, while other traditional safe-haven currencies such as the Japanese yen have faltered.—
Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Cabot immediately covered her face and turned away from the camera, while a stunned Byron ducked down and exited the frame.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Minnesota killing off a late-period penalty was about the only highlight for Wild fans, who went to the second intermission a bit stunned at the deficit facing their team.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Stewart eventually shuffled out, commenting on how his bedhead resembled Little Richard’s.—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
17 Mar. 2026
-
But when Zohran Mamdani proposed a property-tax hike, predictions shuffled wildly.—
Molly Osberg,
Curbed,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And Elijah Wood provides a cheeky, bemused-insider vibe as the Danforths’ lawyer, who’s overseeing the technicalities and generally hiding behind a lectern when contestants start exploding.—
Jada Yuan,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Auriemma watched the chaos unfold wearing a bemused smirk.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Staggered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staggered. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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