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.
—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.
—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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To stagger the terms, seats two and four — which were elected in 2025 — would serve three-year transitional terms through 2028.—
James Wilkins,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
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Murray and Johnson staggered with the bench unit.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In Southern California, researchers are applying the approach to eelgrass, a type of seagrass, as traditional restoration methods falter.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
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The match was an Olympics of desperation as the Ducks broke their six-game freefall and San Jose faltered in a must-win position.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And while navigating Washington isn’t getting any easier, world leaders are starting to lurch out of a wait-and-see mode and chart their own paths to prosperity.—
Shelly Banjo,
semafor.com,
13 Apr. 2026
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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
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This level of exercise includes shoulder stabilization through a downward dog series, the core engaged in boat pose, and legs that work hard enough to tremble during chair pose.—
William Jones,
Ascend Agency,
13 Apr. 2026
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The kind of person who trembles at watermarks is not the sort of person who’s putting marble in the dishwasher.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The starts were violent, ground-shaking and painfully loud.—
Jan Wagner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
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People may want to shake off the branches of trees within reach.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Each increase in weight amplifies these demands, ensuring the robot operates beyond routine conditions while maintaining consistency without wobbling or resets.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
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Market wobbled, then rallied on signals that Tehran might still want to talk, with investors assessing the blockade as brinkmanship as expectations for a possible deal rise.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Totter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totter. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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