as in astonishing
causing wonder or astonishment
the staggering scope of the new construction on campus
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in wobbling
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in lurching
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 faltering
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 staggering
Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
And then there’s the food insecurity that has reached staggering levels for millions of Haitians.
—Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026
Daniel Modlin, Architectural Digest, 5 Mar. 2026
Dash camera video posted by the Huber Heights Police Department on its Facebook page shows the worker rolling the bin toward a garbage truck, lifting the lid and quickly staggering back before pointing toward the container as officers pull up.
—ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for staggering
Adjective
According to one study, only 22 percent of managers globally are engaged–a staggering number that has a direct impact on employee engagement.
—Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
And then there’s the food insecurity that has reached staggering levels for millions of Haitians.
—Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
Add additional rows of blocks, staggering them over the previous layer and using construction adhesive between rows.
—Daniel Modlin, Architectural Digest, 5 Mar. 2026
Dash camera video posted by the Huber Heights Police Department on its Facebook page shows the worker rolling the bin toward a garbage truck, lifting the lid and quickly staggering back before pointing toward the container as officers pull up.
—ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for staggering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for staggering
Adjective
-
Head there for a quieter gape at the astonishing mortar-free construction.—
Helen Brown,
TheWeek,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Overall, this is astonishing work.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
These systems often involve black holes of unequal mass and display strong wobbling and irregular spin patterns.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Apr. 2026
-
That wobbling can allow Arctic air from the troposphere — or contained within the polar jet stream — to move elsewhere.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Freep.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Another neighbor recalled an elevator lurching between floors.—
Elle McLogan,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile the Caliente Range — those mountains just to the west — are lurching the opposite way.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Magic played well before faltering down the stretch and had to win an elimination game in the play-in tournament.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
In some ways, the pair of them have become symbolic of the hope that this team can rise again after faltering in recent weeks.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
To get a sentence like that in a communist, radically left-wing city of liberal lunatics is truly amazing.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The best was this amazing movie with Isabelle Huppert and Gerard Depardieu.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Melton channels that indecision into a physicality that feels like a child being told to sit still and smiles that increasingly don’t reach his eyes.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The California governor’s race remains characterized by chaos and low voter engagement despite significant scandals and drama, with widespread indecision affecting both parties as election day approaches less than 50 days away.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Psychologically reeling from the death of his military father, Samuel keeps dad’s dogtags close at hand and with an eventual curiosity toward his assault rifle.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The region is reeling from devastating wildfires, immigration raids and the upending of the state governor’s race.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Trump has criticized European countries for rejecting or hesitating to get involved in the war with Iran.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The Academy seems comfortable celebrating individual excellence within horror while hesitating to crown its films as definitive achievements.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Staggering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staggering. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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