variants
also wabbles
1
as in shakes
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements
the patient's hand wobbles so much that he can scarcely hold a glass of water
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in lurches
to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions
the table wobbled whenever I leaned on it
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in hesitates
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
we cannot afford to have the governor wobble at this critical time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in falters
to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side
the drunk stood up, wobbled for a moment, and fell forward
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of wobbles
Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 6 Apr. 2026
The show continually wobbles between these two poles.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2026
The start of its third act wobbles a bit, but the filmmakers provide a smashing ending that holds hope there will be more adventures to follow.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
The grades look normal, the homework gets turned in, and then a new unit shows up, and the whole thing wobbles.
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026
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
And the resulting 35-yard field goal try — a six-inch gimmie putt in the modern NFL — wobbles wide right.
—Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025
The tone wobbles between genuine dread and a kind of earnest, slightly campy nostalgia reminiscent of Stand by Me.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
Our economy wobbles but returns to growth.
—John Hope Bryant, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
Sketch a plan for practice, then show up even if motivation wobbles.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 6 Apr. 2026
The show continually wobbles between these two poles.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2026
The start of its third act wobbles a bit, but the filmmakers provide a smashing ending that holds hope there will be more adventures to follow.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
The grades look normal, the homework gets turned in, and then a new unit shows up, and the whole thing wobbles.
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026
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
And the resulting 35-yard field goal try — a six-inch gimmie putt in the modern NFL — wobbles wide right.
—Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025
The tone wobbles between genuine dread and a kind of earnest, slightly campy nostalgia reminiscent of Stand by Me.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
Our economy wobbles but returns to growth.
—John Hope Bryant, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wobbles
Verb
-
Her daytime meals are pretty consistent and include yogurts, protein bars, protein shakes and protein pasta.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) shakes hands with visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi in Beijing, China, May 6, 2026.—
May 6,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Republicans’ hopes of holding on to their slim majorities in the House and Senate may well hinge on the cost at the pump as the war against Iran lurches into its second week.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The sophomore forward rarely hesitates.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
-
If a gatekeeper hesitates, breathe and restate your win.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As a ceasefire with Tehran falters, Republicans joined Democrats in pressing for details on the conflict’s costs and the administration’s plan to end it.—
Noah Robertson,
Washington Post,
12 May 2026
-
Overreliance on one industry makes economies betting on high-tech development vulnerable to market corrections, if AI development falters, or if worsening commodities shortages eventually hinder production of electronic components.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
As of the morning of Monday, May 11, there have been 411 tremors recorded in this swarm, the Southern California Seismic Network reported.—
Paris Barraza,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
Memories of those days, among the most vivid of my early life, still evoke tremors in the bottom of my stomach.—
Fran Moreland Johns,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Hotels used in talks last week have already asked patrons leave as the country shudders into another quasi-lockdown.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Everytime one goes by, the car shudders.—
Leon Hale,
Houston Chronicle,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Biff shouts at him at the show’s excruciating climax) sways between light and dark, between the road and the deadly shoulder, advancing through his last hours on earth as if through the stations of the cross.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Sunday's vote was seen as a key test of whether the EU member nation stays on its liberal course or sways toward the right.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
So, yes, the team did have some success, such as reducing engine vibrations, and the car appears more reliable.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
-
The collar then uses tones, vibrations and optional static corrections to keep your dog within those bounds.—
Rachel Cortez,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wobbles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wobbles. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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