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
Relevance
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
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
In March, 1945, as the war staggered to a close, some two hundred Hungarian Jewish forced laborers were executed near Rechnitz.
—
James Wood, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
The migration takes place from February through April, with individual birds staggering their arrivals and departures.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
Jost noted that the council could stagger public hearings on the proposals on different weeks, which would lengthen the timeframe.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 19 Mar. 2025
Volunteer Devon Douglas emerged from a pit of rubble that had once been the living room, staggering under the weight of a concrete slab more than a foot wide.
—Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stagger
James Wood, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
The migration takes place from February through April, with individual birds staggering their arrivals and departures.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
Jost noted that the council could stagger public hearings on the proposals on different weeks, which would lengthen the timeframe.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 19 Mar. 2025
Volunteer Devon Douglas emerged from a pit of rubble that had once been the living room, staggering under the weight of a concrete slab more than a foot wide.
—Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stagger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stagger
Verb
-
My stomach dropped as my seat lurched backwards, pointing me towards the shoreline.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
-
As the war lurched into its fourth year, Russian losses of tanks, fighting vehicles and other heavy equipment had exceeded 20,000, according to the analysts at the Oryx intelligence collective, which confirms each loss with imagery from the front line.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Musk’s comments about his time allotment come just hours after a group of eight Democratic state treasurers wrote to the chair of Tesla’s board about the company’s faltering performance.—
Miranda Nazzaro,
The Hill,
22 Apr. 2025
-
There were days their hitters faltered, their starters struggled, their relievers were unreliable.—
Marc Topkin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Through a popular uprising and a long and hideous civil war, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime tottered at times, but held on, propped up by allies Russia and Iran.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2025
-
Buruma has much to say about the shifting sands of loyalties as the Nazi and Japanese empires collapsed and the dominions of the old European imperialist powers tottered.—
Max Hastings,
Foreign Affairs,
15 Oct. 2013
Verb
-
Understanding why companies hesitate, and knowing how to work around it, gives you an edge.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Tickets are going fast for this panel, so don’t hesitate to secure your spot.—
Lorraine Berry,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Sherrod opened the scoring with a 65-yard touchdown, weaving through the defense before breaking into the open backfield.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Emotive, enchanting and exotic, the track weaves kalimba and chanting vocals with soft, brooding piano and string parts — and even a subtle harp.—
Katie Bain,
Billboard,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
How did the world’s two largest economies stumble toward a trade war that neither truly seeks and which the rest of the world can’t afford?—
Zongyuan Zoe Liu,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Eleni wasn't the only one who stumbled across the sale.—
Michelle Lee,
People.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The most effective technique for me was accompanying my breath with visualization, such as picturing waves rolling onto shore.—
Michelle Stansbury,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
To add to the pain, the U.S. Federal Reserve, which is a major owner of MBS, is currently letting the MBS roll off of its own portfolio, as part of an effort to shrink its balance sheet.—
Diana Olick,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Then, around 200 million years ago, Pangaea began splitting apart, a geological breakup that formed the Atlantic Ocean, and eastern North America shuffled toward its current position on the globe.—
Alexandra Witze,
JSTOR Daily,
24 Apr. 2025
-
The Phillies can shuffle their rotation with the benefit of two upcoming off days.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stagger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stagger. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share