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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
  • But Friedlich falters at making those exchanges spark with a sense of the real.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The third such report from the powerful Board of Supervisors last week is very similar to language in a Paramount statement of September 8 detailing harsh consequences if the merger falters.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of falters
Verb
  • With a cigarette dangling from her lips, ashes and curse words ever ready to fall, Angela lurches around the house critical of everything and everyone.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Push your right foot down, and the Grand Sport lurches forward like a bat out of hell and straight into two esses, which right away show you how nicely dialed-in the steering is.
    — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 3 Sep. 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
  • And in the first of a series of cascading events that lead up to prom night, Chris records a traumatic incident involving Carrie’s first period in the school locker room to create an Instagram account that rocks the entire town.
    — Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Amanda Seyfried rocks this soft yet vibrant blend of pink and orange tones, creating a warm, sunlit effect.
    — Amanda Le, InStyle, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of rocks
Verb
  • One of the early winners, Bo Nickal, shakes his hand and gives the president a shout-out on live TV.
    — Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Across the way, awakening Uranus shakes your 2nd House of Resources, and this opposition asks your personal values to speak up.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 16 Sep. 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 25 Sep. 2026.

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