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
Dina Tomczak, the school’s athletic director, tottered into her office having barely slept.
—
Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 1 May 2025
The nation is tottering on the edge of dictatorship.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 30 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for totter
Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 1 May 2025
The nation is tottering on the edge of dictatorship.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 30 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for totter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totter
Verb
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Its board of directors has six seats, with elections staggered so that half of the board turns over at a time.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
5 Nov. 2025
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Multiple batteries can address longer gaps in energy production when their discharges are staggered.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Rayo began 2023-24 well under Iraola’s successor Francisco Rodriguez but then started to falter.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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The Rams did not falter and an 80-yard kickoff return touchdown for Jameson Bongiolatti cut the deficit to 21-7.—
Brian Roach,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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This can result in a kind of emotional whiplash, with the tone of the videos lurching between joy and devastation.—
Lindsay Lowe,
Parents,
8 Nov. 2025
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Perry’s films can lurch from romance to madcap Madea comedy to skeletons-in-the-closet family drama and back…all in the space of 20 minutes.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The kind of person who trembles at watermarks is not the sort of person who dares to put marble in the dishwasher.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
16 Oct. 2025
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The Maine trembled and angled up, then listed to port, throwing him from his chair.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Light shaking was detected, and people in several cities - including Hercules, San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland and Fremont - reported feeling the tremor, according to the USGS DYFI report.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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Trim the dead parts, shake the soil off, and store them in a cool, dark location where they are protected from the cold.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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La Niña sets the stage by keeping moisture available, while the easterly QBO can trigger a wobbling polar vortex that pushes Arctic cold southward.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Freep.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Does your ankle wobble excessively or feel unstable?—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Totter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totter. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.
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