1
as in to stagger
to move forward while swaying from side to side
tottered around the house as she practiced walking in high heels
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to falter
to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side
the figurine tottered precariously for a moment before falling off the shelf
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of totter
The result would be that incumbents would lag, populists would surge, and democratic institutions would totter.
—
Moisés Naím, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2025
The country’s economy is tottering and reliant on IMF bailouts, while the powerful military is entrenched in every aspect of life, according to its critics.
—Sophia Saifi, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025
If the bottom falls out of, say, the Chinese real-estate market—among the largest asset classes in the world—the entire global economy could totter.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
The suspect, age 34, tottered out from a rear holding area in an orange DOC jumpsuit that was a size or two too large for his reed-thin frame.
—Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for totter
Moisés Naím, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2025
The country’s economy is tottering and reliant on IMF bailouts, while the powerful military is entrenched in every aspect of life, according to its critics.
—Sophia Saifi, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025
If the bottom falls out of, say, the Chinese real-estate market—among the largest asset classes in the world—the entire global economy could totter.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
The suspect, age 34, tottered out from a rear holding area in an orange DOC jumpsuit that was a size or two too large for his reed-thin frame.
—Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for totter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totter
Verb
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More than 80 tornadoes had been confirmed as of Monday morning, with areas of Kentucky, Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois and Virginia − where two deaths were reported − staggered by some of the worst damage, AccuWeather said.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
20 May 2025
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Brown, his Superman strength sapped, mustered only five points in the second quarter, as Boston staggered to just 38 points as a team.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
17 May 2025
Verb
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But after a flagrant foul by Clark against Reese on Saturday, all the prior talk from each athlete about a lack of a rivalry seemed to falter.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
28 May 2025
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If trade negotiations falter, these tariffs could take effect, potentially igniting a trade war and unsettling global markets.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
Verb
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Juventus are lurching from one coach to the next with no real vision for the future, while the once-mighty AC Milan will miss out on Europe altogether next season and the likes of Fiorentina, Torino and Parma – all having won major trophies in the past – are shadows of their former selves.—
Adam Digby,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
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Wednesday’s primetime debate between the leaders of the five main political parties in the Great North has changed its start time to avoid clashing with a hockey game that could lurch the Montreal Canadiens into this year’s NHL playoffs.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
15 Apr. 2025
Verb
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His blood pressure skyrocketed, and his entire body trembled whenever R.S.F. fighters began shooting nearby.—
Nicolas Niarchos,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
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The mood is tense, with markets trembling and corporate giants like Apple caught in the crossfire.—
Jack Kelly,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The market melted down, Treasury bonds wobbled, and disaster seemed imminent.—
Clem Chambers,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
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But a rally in Asian stocks overnight fell off and the dollar also wobbled.—
Taylor Wilson,
USA Today,
13 May 2025
Verb
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In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes hands with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (R) after a signing ceremony following their bilateral talks at Kumsusan state residence in Pyongyang, on June 19, 2024.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
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The ban, now on emergency pause by Burroughs, already has shaken some of the world’s brightest thinkers at a school often heralded as a premier global hub of higher learning.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
28 May 2025
Verb
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Three heavy explosions from German guns rocked the bomber.—
Linda Dudik,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 May 2025
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Bond markets were rocked after the vote, with the yield on 10-year Treasury bonds rising above 4.6 percent and those on 30-year bonds surpassing 5.1 percent, the highest level since October 2023, per CNN.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Totter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totter. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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