faltered; faltering
ˈfȯl-t(ə-)riŋ 
1
2
: to speak brokenly or weakly : stammer
her voice faltered
3
a
: to hesitate in purpose or action : waver
he never faltered in his determination
b
: to lose drive or effectiveness
the business was faltering
: to utter hesitatingly or brokenly
faltered an excuse
Synonyms
Examples of falter in a Sentence
Verb
The business was faltering due to poor management.
Their initial optimism has faltered.
signs that the economy is faltering
Her steps began to falter.
Recent Examples on the Web
M.d. Johnson, Field & Stream, 27 Mar. 2024
In the video, the bridge faltered first on the left side of the frame, then in the center, and then its long truss snapped and the right span fell, all in a matter of a few seconds.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
Elsewhere, Ecuador faltered against Italy and Uruguay really fell flat on their previous good form with defeat to the Ivory Coast and a draw in the Basque Country.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
At that time, Spielberg’s magic touch, his innate sense of what an audience desired and how to deliver it, had faltered.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024
He’s had so many hurdles and roadblocks, and he’s just faltered.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2024
The trend isn't new, but tends to resurface when the economy falters, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article noting that the number of employers offering people new job titles in lieu of commensurate raises has increased 5% since 2018, to 13% in 2024.
—Anne Marie Lee, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2024
While conservative boycotts of Bud Light and Target saw both falter in sales, Bud Light parent Anheuser-Busch InBev grew revenue last quarter after raising prices.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024
The coach vowed to find other players who could get the job done if his current ones continued to falter.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024
Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024
Pushing back The Russian assault on Avdiivka comes after an unconvincing Ukrainian counter-offensive in the summer and as Western support for Kyiv falters.
—Vasco Cotovio, CNN, 16 Feb. 2024
Hydrogen excels where battery electric vehicle tech falters.
—Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 25 Feb. 2024
If one income source falters, others can pick up the slack.
—Melissa Houston, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
This number could grow if international funding for aid falters.
—Sarah Yager, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2024
Maybe the only falter is dessert, a creamy-icy concoction that includes melon panna cotta and fresh sorrel bingsu.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2024
Memory falters, personality changes, language slips, the grasp on complexity vanishes.
—Natalie De Souza, The New York Review of Books, 1 Feb. 2024
If military support for Ukraine falters, the consequences will be dire for Europe and the rest of the world.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Foreign Affairs, 11 Jan. 2024
Verb
Some of these places have seen their eastern wild turkey populations falter by as much as 50 percent.
—M.d. Johnson, Field & Stream, 27 Mar. 2024
In the video, the bridge faltered first on the left side of the frame, then in the center, and then its long truss snapped and the right span fell, all in a matter of a few seconds.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
Elsewhere, Ecuador faltered against Italy and Uruguay really fell flat on their previous good form with defeat to the Ivory Coast and a draw in the Basque Country.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
At that time, Spielberg’s magic touch, his innate sense of what an audience desired and how to deliver it, had faltered.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024
He’s had so many hurdles and roadblocks, and he’s just faltered.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2024
The trend isn't new, but tends to resurface when the economy falters, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article noting that the number of employers offering people new job titles in lieu of commensurate raises has increased 5% since 2018, to 13% in 2024.
—Anne Marie Lee, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2024
While conservative boycotts of Bud Light and Target saw both falter in sales, Bud Light parent Anheuser-Busch InBev grew revenue last quarter after raising prices.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024
The coach vowed to find other players who could get the job done if his current ones continued to falter.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024
Noun
Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Egypt on Thursday, and will make a stop in Israel on Friday, as talks for a cease-fire and hostage deal in Gaza falter.
—Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024
Pushing back The Russian assault on Avdiivka comes after an unconvincing Ukrainian counter-offensive in the summer and as Western support for Kyiv falters.
—Vasco Cotovio, CNN, 16 Feb. 2024
Hydrogen excels where battery electric vehicle tech falters.
—Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 25 Feb. 2024
If one income source falters, others can pick up the slack.
—Melissa Houston, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
This number could grow if international funding for aid falters.
—Sarah Yager, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2024
Maybe the only falter is dessert, a creamy-icy concoction that includes melon panna cotta and fresh sorrel bingsu.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2024
Memory falters, personality changes, language slips, the grasp on complexity vanishes.
—Natalie De Souza, The New York Review of Books, 1 Feb. 2024
If military support for Ukraine falters, the consequences will be dire for Europe and the rest of the world.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Foreign Affairs, 11 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'falter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb and Noun
Middle English
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a
Noun
1834, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of falter was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near falter
Cite this Entry
“Falter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/falter. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
falter
verb
fal·ter
ˈfȯl-tər
faltered; faltering
ˈfȯl-t(ə-)riŋ
1
: to move unsteadily : waver
2
: to stumble or hesitate in speech : stammer entry 1
her voice faltered
3
: to hesitate in purpose or action
courage that never falters
falter
noun
falterer
noun
-tər-ər
falteringly
adverb
-t(ə-)riŋ-lē
More from Merriam-Webster on falter
Nglish: Translation of falter for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of falter for Arabic Speakers
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