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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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
-
This majestic sequence delivers a lifetime’s outpouring of love’s inadequacies and frustrations, of grief and regret, of gratitude along with candid acceptance of loss, and of self-questioning that never shakes the foundations of the family—her ferocious commitment to the children.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 June 2026
-
Jalen Brunson shakes free of a couple of defenders, including the Spurs' Victor Wembanyama, the league's Defensive Player of the Year, and catches the inbounds pass near midcourt.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
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
Verb
-
The mother in Frederick County still hesitates.—
Natasha Dartigue,
Baltimore Sun,
16 May 2026
-
His grandson, Jack Schlossberg, who is running for Congress, never hesitates to remind audiences of his lineage.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Such investors might be more inclined to dump their shares if the company's growth falters, rather than ride out the storm, Grelck said.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
-
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.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
The shaking was also felt in South Dadeland, where at least one building was evacuated after tremors were reported inside.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
-
The tremors were also felt in Mexico, according to a man who said everything was shaking in Playa del Carmen.—
Minyvonne Burke,
NBC news,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
The American flag has never been among those Davis shudders to make.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
-
Nothing much really happens in this movie after Philip’s initial arrest, but the world viscerally shudders under Lucy’s feet every time one of her husband’s alibis falls apart.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Republican political consultants are skeptical that Paxton’s place on the ballot sways the needle for Democrats.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 June 2026
-
Now the castle is in ruins (though with explanatory signage), with hiking paths, a museum, and a 1,200-foot pedestrian suspension bridge that sways 300 feet above the valley floor.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Jane Fonda rocks a pink suit at the 2026 GCAPP Rising Leaders Luncheon on June 5 in Sandy Springs, Ga.—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
8 June 2026
-
While all of this inner turmoil rocks the rest of the Islanders, Aniya should be getting paid some kind of fee for her services as villa therapist.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wobbles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wobbles. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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