1
as in staggered
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 faltered
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tottered
Verb
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Commissioners serve two year terms, which are staggered so about half of them expire each January.—
Luke Harold,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026 -
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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But UConn faltered in the second half, surrendering a 20-4 run and at one point going nearly eight minutes between field goals.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
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The Aussie actor has had quite the year, with acclaimed performances in films such as Frankenstein and Wuthering Heights—and amidst the many press tours and busy award season events, his personal style has never faltered.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
5 Mar. 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 underlying numbers point to a mid-table side, yet the outcomes have wobbled.—
Sukhman Singh,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The rungs were slippery with rain, and the bridge wobbled sickeningly with each step.—
Robert Moor,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Palace centre-back shook off Leny Yoro as the ball was delivered into the box before heading past Senne Lammens.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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The earthquake shook at a depth of 8 miles, with its epicenter approximately 4 miles east-northeast of Calexico.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As blasts and gunfire rocked Kabul on Sunday, analysts said there is still room for escalation and no clear off-ramp.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
3 Mar. 2026
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Walker’s analysis adds some real meat to a debate that has rocked Wall Street—and many retail traders’ portfolios—as several viral doomsday essays about AI eating the economy trickled into actual stock market volatility.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Later, when Tristan gently put his hand on Marke’s shoulder, the king shuddered.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
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People shuddered at the sight of it, or groaned, or covered their eyes.—
Sam Kriss,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Tottered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tottered. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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