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
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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
Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totters
Verb
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Because of the program's size, the Social Security Administration (SSA) staggers payments across the month to keep the system running smoothly.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Dec. 2025
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But Roman breaks free, staggers to his feet and appears to wipe his face, apparently from pepper spray.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Brown is likely a lock unless his usual consistency falters in the long program on Saturday.—
Lillian Karabaic,
NPR,
9 Jan. 2026
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Even when Cregger holds his mythology deceptively close to the chest, the emotional intrigue never falters in the wake of a mass disappearance that saw more than 30 local children disappear.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Three seconds later, the Honda crashes into a parked car with such force its tires fly off the street, the pile of cars lurches forward several feet and snow billows.—
Claire Galofaro,
Fortune,
9 Jan. 2026
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As one officer reaches for the SUV's door handle, the vehicle lurches backward and then begins moving forward, rightward, seemingly away from the officers.—
Justin Gomez,
ABC News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Over the next two weeks, these shifts could start to be felt in North America, Europe and Asia as the polar vortex weakens and tumbles south, like a spinning top that slows and wobbles off course.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
19 Nov. 2025
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And the resulting 35-yard field goal try — a six-inch gimmie putt in the modern NFL — wobbles wide right.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The fashion guru typically rocks her tried-and-true ashy blonde, occasionally opting for highlights and/or lowlights.—
Tessa Petak,
InStyle,
8 Jan. 2026
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But when a tsunami rocks their island, profound tragedy ensues, and immediately ups the stakes of a brief encounter.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Kicking off the Year With Self-Care These days, her morning ritual also includes Premier Protein shakes.—
Leslie D. Rose,
Parents,
6 Jan. 2026
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Berto is seen walking back to his truck, while the Tahoe driver walks toward the front end of the Tahoe, looks down at the bumper and shakes his head before turning to point the firearm at Berto, the affidavit said.—
Timia Cobb
Breaking News Reporter,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Totters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totters. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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