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
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Recent Examples of wobbled
Minnesota found its groove in the fourth quarter, while San Antonio’s legs wobbled.
—
Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 5 May 2026
If everyone succeeded, the box got shorter for the next round, while the other participants hovered nearby to catch anyone who wobbled.
—Lily Hautau, CNN Money, 3 May 2026
The rear wheel wobbled and suffered severe tire wear.
—Bill Gourgey, Popular Science, 29 Apr. 2026
Market wobbled, then rallied on signals that Tehran might still want to talk, with investors assessing the blockade as brinkmanship as expectations for a possible deal rise.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2026
As enrollment has wobbled, tuition has increased.
—State House News Service, Boston Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
Rory McIlroy, who built the biggest 36-hole lead in history, wobbled and wilted — one shot in the water, another in the woods — while others surged and made a run at the reigning champion.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Husso has gone 9-8-2 and provided some timely wins during a season where Mrázek wobbled and then fell out of service completely while Lukáš Dostál was on track to set a career high in games played for a second consecutive campaign.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 8 Apr. 2026
For one night, or one period really, the Stars wobbled.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 16 Mar. 2026
Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 5 May 2026
If everyone succeeded, the box got shorter for the next round, while the other participants hovered nearby to catch anyone who wobbled.
—Lily Hautau, CNN Money, 3 May 2026
The rear wheel wobbled and suffered severe tire wear.
—Bill Gourgey, Popular Science, 29 Apr. 2026
Market wobbled, then rallied on signals that Tehran might still want to talk, with investors assessing the blockade as brinkmanship as expectations for a possible deal rise.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2026
As enrollment has wobbled, tuition has increased.
—State House News Service, Boston Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
Rory McIlroy, who built the biggest 36-hole lead in history, wobbled and wilted — one shot in the water, another in the woods — while others surged and made a run at the reigning champion.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Husso has gone 9-8-2 and provided some timely wins during a season where Mrázek wobbled and then fell out of service completely while Lukáš Dostál was on track to set a career high in games played for a second consecutive campaign.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 8 Apr. 2026
For one night, or one period really, the Stars wobbled.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wobbled
Verb
-
Their struggles are why Buster Posey shook things up by calling up Bryce Eldridge and Jesus Rodriguez.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
-
Eventually, the Thunder shook off the rust from an eight-day break and went up 31-26 at the end of the first quarter, despite 12 points from James.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
France lurched from republic to dictatorship to empire before cycling back through absolute monarchy, constitutional monarchy, Second Republic, and Second Empire.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
An indictment filed in federal court in Sacramento on Thursday charges Mendoza Hernandez with one count of assault with a deadly weapon for each time his car lurched forward, incidents the government said were about seven seconds apart.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Representatives from federal health agencies hesitated to back Fogel’s definition after only having a few days to consult with their colleagues at their respective agencies.—
O. Rose Broderick,
STAT,
28 Apr. 2026
-
As of last month, that number was about 3 million as employees hesitated to quit at a time when job searches can drag on for months.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Where the show faltered last night, however, was in assuming a one-size-fits-all approach to its pop-star-hosting formula.—
Charu Sinha,
Vulture,
3 May 2026
-
The merger, announced about a year ago, faltered for several reasons.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The plane jerked to a stop as two trucks passed just feet in front of its nose.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
-
We are jerked between past and present as his backstory gets filled in, one jogged memory at a time.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The 28-year-old Nakatani, a southpaw, used his longer reach to keep Inoue’s punches at bay, while Inoue simply swayed his body or got out of the way.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 May 2026
-
One key problem with California’s direct democracy is that voters are easily swayed by broad promises, but then lose interest in real-world outcomes.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
At least the elevator still creaked and shuddered, as in the old days, finally trembling open on the eighth floor.—
Rick Bragg,
Southern Living,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Later, when Tristan gently put his hand on Marke’s shoulder, the king shuddered.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Haitian immigrants became eligible after an earthquake rocked the country in 2010.—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Zack Bolduc and Cole Caufield, on the power play, had spotted Montreal a 2-0 lead as the Bell Centre absolutely rocked again in the anticipation and hope that perhaps their team might take a 3-1 lead over the favoured Lightning.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wobbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wobbled. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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