1
as in lurches
to move forward while swaying from side to side
I was so tired last night that I just staggered upstairs to bed without eating dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in hesitates
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
a daunting problem that would make even the most decisive person stagger just a bit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of staggers
Make the most of the shoulder seasons Almost all schools in England enjoy the long summer break at the same time (unlike in Scotland, which staggers its school vacation time for each region).
—
Lottie Gross, AFAR Media, 29 Aug. 2025
The agency staggers payments across the month to manage the large volume of recipients.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
Maybe birth rates would rebound, after a disaster or disintegration that staggers us.
—Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025
Lottie Gross, AFAR Media, 29 Aug. 2025
The agency staggers payments across the month to manage the large volume of recipients.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
Maybe birth rates would rebound, after a disaster or disintegration that staggers us.
—Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for staggers
Verb
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That film begins with charismatic bank robber Ryan Gosling in a thrilling motorcycle escape from the cops, and moves through several twists and turns, lurches forward in time, and holds Gosling at its heart as a man doing bad things for good reasons.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Translate it poorly, and even the best technology hesitates off the line.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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But Andreia Alexander, an ER doctor in Indiana, told me that patients should not want a doctor who hesitates to save their life.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Confidence falters as the moon meets Venus.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
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Where government funding falters, private industry must become a vital partner to bridge the gap.—
Denis Mandich,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Staggers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staggers. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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