1
as in to stagger
to move forward while swaying from side to side
tottered around the house as she practiced walking in high heels
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to falter
to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side
the figurine tottered precariously for a moment before falling off the shelf
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of totter
Women often totter along a delicate line between beauty and torture, femininity and the bondage of expectation.
—
Jane Wooldridge, Miami Herald, 7 Dec. 2025
But The Gilded Age doesn’t do pure villains with its main cast, and Oscar totters between failson and tragic figure, the closeted heir of the Van Rhijn family dragged to hell and back after being defrauded of his mother’s fortune.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
On the floor, waist-high piles of books tottered like miniature leaning towers of Pisa.
My father has always been an avid learner and reader.
—The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 2025
As Joe Biden tottered and fell (literally as well as metaphorically), more than a few pundits compared him to Lear, a man who was ruined by age, pride, and the flattery of sycophants.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for totter
Jane Wooldridge, Miami Herald, 7 Dec. 2025
But The Gilded Age doesn’t do pure villains with its main cast, and Oscar totters between failson and tragic figure, the closeted heir of the Van Rhijn family dragged to hell and back after being defrauded of his mother’s fortune.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
On the floor, waist-high piles of books tottered like miniature leaning towers of Pisa.
My father has always been an avid learner and reader.
—The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 2025
As Joe Biden tottered and fell (literally as well as metaphorically), more than a few pundits compared him to Lear, a man who was ruined by age, pride, and the flattery of sycophants.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for totter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totter
Verb
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The Heat continues to stagger the minutes of its two top scoring guards.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
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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,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The biggest hit will probably come to an area where local governments already falter.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Feb. 2026
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Despite leading most of the game, USC faltered in the final moments and dropped its second game in a row.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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Then, just as abruptly, the plane lurched up, slamming everyone back to the ground.—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The influencer recounted this to his fans with a trembling voice, but his typical setup hadn’t changed.—
Kenneal Patterson,
Vanity Fair,
19 Feb. 2026
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Cross-country skiing is known for its attrition, an event that leaves its competitors foam-mouthed and slack-jawed; athletes of iron reduced to trembling and contorted shapes on the floor.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Witnesses described the Israeli airstrikes as particularly intense, shaking homes in the area.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Mar. 2026
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Hopes for any stability and settling out, however, have been quickly shaken.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The rungs were slippery with rain, and the bridge wobbled sickeningly with each step.—
Robert Moor,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
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Jokic’s shooting legs still seem to wobble late.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Totter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totter. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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