variants
also wabbled
1
as in shook
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 lurched
to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions
the table wobbled whenever I leaned on it
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in hesitated
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 faltered
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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wobbled
And the Giants have wobbled in proximity to that mediocre mark in each of the past four seasons.
—
Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
The rotating fan clicked, wobbled, and turned the other way.
—Lauren Rothery, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Her voice wobbled occasionally but could fly across three registers.
—Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2025
But the trade has wobbled already.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2025
The green dot of the laser sight wobbled on the opposite wall.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2025
But the wheels wobbled, with spurts of energy coming to dead stops as Wayne bounced from song to song.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 18 Aug. 2025
Early reports on the wreck confirmed by the agency indicated a motorcycle spun out and wobbled before being hit by another vehicle.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025
Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
The rotating fan clicked, wobbled, and turned the other way.
—Lauren Rothery, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Her voice wobbled occasionally but could fly across three registers.
—Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2025
But the trade has wobbled already.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2025
The green dot of the laser sight wobbled on the opposite wall.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2025
But the wheels wobbled, with spurts of energy coming to dead stops as Wayne bounced from song to song.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 18 Aug. 2025
Early reports on the wreck confirmed by the agency indicated a motorcycle spun out and wobbled before being hit by another vehicle.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wobbled
Verb
-
By Brendan Kuty, Jen McCaffrey and Chris Kirschner NEW YORK — The crowd roared, and then the building shook.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Clark shook her head and said no to both questions.—
Jill Martin,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The escalator lurched to a halt just after the pair got on.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
-
On Halloween of 2022, just weeks into the new school year, senior Ehni Ler Htoo was making his way through the halls of Proctor High School in Utica, New York, when a fellow student lurched at him from behind, repeatedly plunging a 9-inch hunting knife into his back.—
Tonya Simpson,
ABC News,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Shaking in his seat, Dobby initially hesitated to comment on the subject, but then segment anchor Michael Che offered him some encouragement.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Oct. 2025
-
The director hesitated to watch the film at the Cannes Classics showing.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Like last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Hurts had a hot start and then faltered in the second half.—
Ted Nguyen,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Although both players were made to save break points early on in the deciding set, Nosková faltered first as Anisimova took a 4-2 lead, cutting down on the unforced errors that were her downfall in the second.—
Frank Nunns O'Connell,
CNN Money,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In the second video, Cabello can be seen singing as Murray and her dad swayed together on the dance floor.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Because, in fact, I am usually immediately swayed by whatever intellectual fashion is in the air, and a first draft of any essay is more often than not a cynical and dutiful rehashing of the argument du jour.—
Zadie Smith,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
According to videos, officers waited roughly 20 seconds before detaining people.—
Quinlan Bentley,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The suit was actually dismissed in 2022 after Olguin ruled that Elden had waited too long to file a civil suit.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Earth shuddered with yet another wave of extinctions in this initial chill.—
Peter Brannen,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
-
For much of last season, Atletico appeared set to seriously compete on all fronts, but their season shuddered to a stop in March with a series of disappointing defeats by Barcelona and Madrid across La Liga, Copa del Rey and the Champions League.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
At least two people died and dozens were arrested in Morocco, the latest site of Gen Z protests that have rocked countries worldwide.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Google has been racing to find ways to integrate generative AI into its search engine since OpenAI rocked the tech sector with the launch of its chatbot ChatGPT in late 2022.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wobbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wobbled. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share