1
as in hesitates
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
he's still wavering about whether to take the job
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in falters
to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side
the steel tower wavered for a moment before falling over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of wavers
Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
As a small rural settlement is swiftly and ruthlessly stripped bare by the twin plagues of a diphtheria epidemic and spreading wildfires, the film eventually descends into a near-literal hellscape, though even when pandemonium takes over on screen, Van Dusen’s formal control never wavers.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
If your season of choice wavers between winter and spring, try this matte floral design in a neutral palette of black, white, and beige.
—Samantha Brash, InStyle, 8 Feb. 2026
As Mercury stations retrograde in your sign, confidence wavers and old narratives resurface, tempting you to retreat or overexplain.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
In season two, based on the nine of 15 total episodes provided to critics, the restraint wavers and the balance begins to tilt.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2026
Throughout, the depth and quality of Sullivan’s attention to prosaic detail—even plain and unappealing objects—never wavers.
—The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 26 Dec. 2025
Despite the Eagles offense being inconsistent, her Philly pride never wavers.
—Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025
Yet the funding, energy, and capabilities of the democratic alliance have declined as the institutions of the liberal order lose their potency and the conviction of remaining members wavers.
—Nic Cheeseman, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Verb
If confidence wavers, share your draft with a trusted friend, and remember that feedback is fuel rather than a stop sign.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
As a small rural settlement is swiftly and ruthlessly stripped bare by the twin plagues of a diphtheria epidemic and spreading wildfires, the film eventually descends into a near-literal hellscape, though even when pandemonium takes over on screen, Van Dusen’s formal control never wavers.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
If your season of choice wavers between winter and spring, try this matte floral design in a neutral palette of black, white, and beige.
—Samantha Brash, InStyle, 8 Feb. 2026
As Mercury stations retrograde in your sign, confidence wavers and old narratives resurface, tempting you to retreat or overexplain.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
In season two, based on the nine of 15 total episodes provided to critics, the restraint wavers and the balance begins to tilt.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2026
Throughout, the depth and quality of Sullivan’s attention to prosaic detail—even plain and unappealing objects—never wavers.
—The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 26 Dec. 2025
Despite the Eagles offense being inconsistent, her Philly pride never wavers.
—Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025
Yet the funding, energy, and capabilities of the democratic alliance have declined as the institutions of the liberal order lose their potency and the conviction of remaining members wavers.
—Nic Cheeseman, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wavers
Verb
-
When pressed on what a new economic system for the age of AGI might look like, Hunter-Torricke hesitates.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
17 Feb. 2026
-
If someone hesitates, give them time to respond, because shared goals deserve space for honest input.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Trying to hold all of that in, trying to be the one who never falters is not sustainable.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
-
What never falters is the euphoric chaos of the experience.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This means that instead of grass, her yard is landscaped with rocks, mulch, and a tree or two that requires less water.—
Sarah Horbacewicz,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Fairy rocks The curling stones the players were using Tuesday in Norfolk were made in the same place as the ones used in the Olympic games.—
Dave Altimari,
Hartford Courant,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
Noun
-
Head to any tennis court to try to get some swings in and one’s sure to see plenty of people playing pickleball, a combination of badminton, ping pong and tennis that sees players swing small paddles on a short court.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The microscope captured collective oscillations of superconducting electrons.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Feb. 2026
-
There’s not much to quibble with in the market’s to-and-fro oscillations among sectors and themes so far.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This year, ByteDance’s Doubao platform, a gala sponsor, sent out waves of hongbao or red envelopes with virtual cash to users of its AI chatbot app throughout the show, while a comedian at one point asked the app for advice.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
-
In the meantime, massages can be arranged in your room or on your terrace, which is hardly a compromise—especially since the crashing waves set the soundtrack for every inch of this property.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Athena whips votes; Myki doesn’t bother.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Some white parents beat their children with the same whips the apartheid police used in Black neighborhoods.—
Eve Fairbanks,
The Dial,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wavers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wavers. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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