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toddle

verb

Definition of toddlenext
as in to totter

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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 toddle On this trip back to the mountain village, children and chickens toddle around, and Elba scrubs laundry in an outdoor basin. — Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 3 Dec. 2025 The sight of hundreds of tiny turtle hatchlings toddling their way down to the lapping ocean waves is the surest way to take your breath away. — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2025 As players cleared the court, Ares could be seen with his mom, toddling across the hardwood with a basketball in hand, chasing after loose balls and even giving dribbling a try before his dad scooped him up. — Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 16 Oct. 2025 The cost of transport while flying works out to be about 36, but just 14 while crawling, meaning that the robot is more than twice as efficient while toddling along on the ground. — IEEE Spectrum, 29 Mar. 2016 See All Example Sentences for toddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toddle
  1. totter
  2. lurch
  3. stumble
  4. flounder
  5. shake
  6. falter
  7. waver
Verb
  • Like a lot of us who tottered into consciousness in the second half of the 20th century, Les Claypool grew up with cartoons from the family television beaming into his retinas.
    — Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Outside, a gull tottered to the window and tapped its beak against the glass.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
Definition of totter
Verb
  • Maybe this is what the Chargers are — lurching, sputtering and unable to consistently move the football, despite an offensive overhaul packed with lofty expectations.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
  • One more try and the orchestra slides up the expressive contrast a few notches to intensify the feeling of lurching from mood to mood.
    — Justin Davidson, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of lurch
Verb
  • Before Quenneville arrived, the Ducks stumbled through a franchise-record seven straight losing seasons.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Early in the book, there’s a disturbing scene in which Cathy’s mother stumbles upon a half naked 10-year-old Cathy lying on the floor beneath two teenage boys.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • And yet when Winston took over for Dart in Monday’s first quarter, and as the Giants’ offense floundered while falling behind big, Beckham was nailed to the bench.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The tech giants surged to all-time highs this week, a surprising show of strength given that the group has floundered for much of this year with the artificial intelligence trade broadening away from megacaps.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of flounder
Verb
  • The policeman held on to Shorty’s biceps and shook them slightly, both giving the sense of a loving embrace and using his strength to lift Shorty ever so slightly off the ground and clear of the entrance.
    — Anand Giridharadas, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The trailer ends with Taylor-Johnson shaking and looking toward the sky as his transformation into a wolf appears to approach.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of shake
Verb
  • Health, nutrition and family engagement have long been core values and some fear that without guardrails the program will falter.
    — Kate Sequeira, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
  • But Friedlich falters at making those exchanges spark with a sense of the real.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of falter
Verb
  • The deaths were sudden and unexpected as their health wavered amid the challenges of adjusting to a new home, according to statements from the aquariums.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Hobson went on to extol Lucas’ vision and his ability to never waver from his dream for the museum.
    — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of waver

Browse Nearby Words

todays
toddle
toddled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Toddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toddle. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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