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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And once performance falters, customers are likely to lose faith in your brand.
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Conquerors and autocrats may win the immediate battle by bullying their subjects into submission, but their empires inevitably crumble the moment their iron grip falters.
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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Andra Day rocks denim trousers to the Inside the Afties event presented by Amazon Music during the Cannes Lions Festival in France on June 24.
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In photos from the spread by photographer Rafael Pavarotti shared on Instagram, Madonna rocks a pale pink corset over a white leotard that peeks out the bottom and top.
Verb
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Huel offers nutritionally complete protein shakes as meal replacements.
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The room shakes, and my mug falls to the ground.
Cite this Entry
“Totters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totters. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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