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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Steely and deliberate songwriting that casually staggers down the line between rhythm and melody, laced with loose yet conscious jams.
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Like many Florida school districts, OCPS staggers start times to most efficiently use its school buses and drivers.
Verb
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Such investors might be more inclined to dump their shares if the company's growth falters, rather than ride out the storm, Grelck said.
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Sometimes, things get a bit heavy-handed, and while there’s certainly room for museums to bear the stamp of their founders, as do the Frick Collection in New York, the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, and many others, Alice Walton’s vision sometimes falters in execution.
Verb
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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.
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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.
Verb
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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.
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Sketch a plan for practice, then show up even if motivation wobbles.
Verb
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Jenna Ortega rocks a new hairdo in the trailer for Klara and the Sun.
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Rashida Jones rocks a preppy look outside NBC Studio on June 16 in New York City.
Verb
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And the employee shakes their head and the manager feels really positive.
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And Philip told me that someone shakes his hand.
Cite this Entry
“Totters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totters. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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