tottered

verb

past tense of totter
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

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 tottered 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, 13 July 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tottered
  1. staggered
  2. faltered
  3. lurched
  4. wobbled
  5. shook
  6. rocked
  7. shuddered
Verb
  • However, data from Agence France Tresor shows that the average maturity of French debt stands at roughly 8 years and 158 days, with debt redemptions relatively well staggered.
    — , CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The vice mayor and commissioners already serve four-year terms, though their terms are staggered.
    — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of staggered
Verb
  • Both stocks faltered even though the full data which was released Thursday appeared meaningful for patients and positive relative to Wall Street expectations.
    — Paulina Likos, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Giants hope the more mobile McCarthy can spark a struggling running game that has faltered with Winston at quarterback.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of faltered
Verb
  • The insurrection drew immediate and obvious parallels to the United States, which, during much of the past decade, has lurched alongside Brazil through a strange hall of mirrors.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026
  • And there was a frenzy as one man, grimacing and sweating, lurched along pulling a truck with a rope.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of lurched
Verb
  • Between increasing costs and construction challenges from the BRT project, some small, longtime businesses have wobbled and closed.
    — John Wenzel, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2026
  • My admiration for Matthiessen has wobbled a bit but is still essentially grateful.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of wobbled
Verb
  • The tech-heavy Nasdaq has fought its way into the green Tuesday, as influential AI stocks like CoreWeave shook off earlier losses.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The pope then walked outside greeted and waved at the crowd and shook hands of hospital staff lined up by car to see him off.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of shook
Verb
  • The deaths captured international attention and rocked the local economy, which authorities said was heavily reliant on tourism.
    — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Shortly before this war began, Iran was again rocked by mass protests.
    — Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of rocked
Verb
  • Conservatives shuddered to think how close the country had come to permanent entangling alliances.
    — Beverly Gage, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • McDonald’s shares fell nearly 5% Wednesday, their largest percentage drop since April 2025, as investors shuddered at the eye-popping price of improving McDonald’s 46,000 global stores.
    — Dee-Ann Durbin, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of shuddered

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tottered
tottering
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Cite this Entry

“Tottered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tottered. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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