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
  • Extreme heat is redefining electricity as emergency infrastructure, pushing grids to their limits as demand soars and supply falters.
    — Monica Sanders, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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
  • The zigzag headband is ideal for a bad hair day or simply for effortlessly accessorizing an outfit, and Hailey Bieber effortlessly rocks it for everything from skin care routines and workouts to swimming.
    — Elise Fabre, Glamour, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Keanu Reeves rocks an all-black look at the premiere of Madwoman’s Game at the Chicano Hollywood Film Festival on July 30 in Pomona, California.
    — People Staff, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of rocks
Verb
  • Mike Krukow shakes hands with Jackson Flora, the San Francisco Giants 1st pick of the 2026 MLB Draft, as Duane Kuiper observes at Oracle Park on July 29, 2026 in San Francisco, California.
    — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The team will want to have about $1 million for the deadline, but if an expensive player shakes loose in the next two months, Edmonton is in a good position to make a move.
    — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 4 Aug. 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 13 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on totters

Nglish: Translation of totters for Spanish Speakers

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