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 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
-
Once there’s some significant progress on the cross-country escape plan, the film falters a bit.—
Josh Slater-Williams,
IndieWire,
20 May 2026
-
As his relevance falters, Drake’s eye for slights and score-settling has grown so microscopic that even his stans need tweezers.—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Less than 1% will contract West Nile neuroinvasive disease, a more serious neurological illness that causes tremors, convulsions, neck stiffness, disorientation, paralysis and even death.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
-
Fashion was hit by brand management tremors on Wednesday as two new fault lines opened up, further cracking the industry’s status quo.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
Verb
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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
-
Terra was sued by survivors of the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo in Surfside who claimed that vibrations from construction of his luxury Eighty-Seven Park tower next door contributed to the calamity.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2026
-
Quantum sensors are highly sensitive, but maintaining stability outside laboratories remains difficult due to vibrations, heat, environmental noise, and the complexity of laser systems.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wobbles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wobbles. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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