totters

verb

present tense third-person singular of totter
1
as in staggers
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 falters
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 totters 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totters
  1. staggers
  2. falters
  3. lurches
  4. wobbles
  5. rocks
  6. shakes
Verb
  • Steely and deliberate songwriting that casually staggers down the line between rhythm and melody, laced with loose yet conscious jams.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 June 2026
  • Like many Florida school districts, OCPS staggers start times to most efficiently use its school buses and drivers.
    — Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026
Definition of staggers
Verb
  • While the federal government remains indispensable in public health, these state-level collaborations demonstrated that regional governance can emerge quickly when national leadership falters.
    — John Eger, Mercury News, 17 July 2026
  • The system implemented by the National Weather Service falters mathematically when both the temperature and humidity are particularly high.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
Definition of falters
Verb
  • The film unhurriedly lurches from one markedly similar fight scene to the next, with only Skeletor’s occasional injections of ripe innuendo to liven them up a bit.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 2 June 2026
  • By the end, Noonan’s film stops feeling like a first date and starts to resemble the makings of a crime scene as his mood lurches toward something dangerous.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 May 2026
Definition of lurches
Verb
  • Put plainly, the body that watches over the global financial system, chaired by the governor of the Bank of England, is saying the prices these funds report rest partly on judgment, and that the judgment wobbles precisely when it is tested.
    — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026
  • Sketch a plan for practice, then show up even if motivation wobbles.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 6 Apr. 2026
Definition of wobbles
Verb
  • Travis Scott rocks some serious chains while attending Fanatics Fest 2026 on July 17 in New York City.
    — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026
  • Beyond the display, the Dell 24 All-in-One Desktop rocks a 13th-generation Intel Core i5-1334U processor, which is a standard CPU good for basic, light-load tasks like browsing, streaming, or playing around with documents.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 15 July 2026
Definition of rocks
Verb
  • Dollar Tree quietly stocks shelf-stable protein shakes, protein bars and cheese sticks that can round out a breakfast or refuel a busy afternoon without straining a tight budget.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson July 16, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2026
  • Shelf-stable protein shakes worth stocking Shelf-stable protein shakes are one of the easiest ways to add protein to a busy day, and Dollar Tree carries a couple of options that don’t require refrigeration until opened.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson July 16, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
Definition of shakes

Browse Nearby Words

tottering
totters
tottery
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Cite this Entry

“Totters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totters. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on totters

Nglish: Translation of totters for Spanish Speakers

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