1
as in to hesitate
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
William Lloyd Garrison never once faltered in his demand that slavery be unconditionally abolished
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to tremble
to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side
the cut tree seemed to falter for a moment before crashing to the ground
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of falter
Spurs falter, Kings rise The Spurs fell to 5-10 since the trade and have the third worst record in the West, 26-35.
—
Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 2025
For some reason, Kirk and Trevor Lawrence's relationship began to falter.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Execution is where most businesses either succeed or falter.
—Raheel Sheikh, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
The New York Yankees are reeling from injuries but still figure to be a tough opponent, and the Baltimore Orioles, coming off a strong regular season last year, still have something to prove after faltering in the playoffs.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for falter
Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 2025
For some reason, Kirk and Trevor Lawrence's relationship began to falter.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Execution is where most businesses either succeed or falter.
—Raheel Sheikh, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
The New York Yankees are reeling from injuries but still figure to be a tough opponent, and the Baltimore Orioles, coming off a strong regular season last year, still have something to prove after faltering in the playoffs.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for falter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for falter
Verb
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For those who have hesitated due to financial concerns, now may be the right time to take the leap.—
Jaime Catmull,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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The time and place to hesitate, to overthink, to pass up a good shot in hopes of getting the best one has passed for the UConn men.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Needless to say, those of us who remember 1987 are trembling, and were expecting a frightful jobs report.—
Eli Amdur,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Historians would be called in to provide context, and every social-media app would be trembling with outrage.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
The New Yorker,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Without Lillard, any remaining championship hopes—already wobbling like a Jenga tower missing its foundation—have officially crumbled.—
Brian Sampson,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
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The scene that draws the biggest laughs from the audience features a bit of old school slapstick comedy as Cher attempts to make a clumsy romantic pass at her classmate Christian in her bedroom, falling off the bed and wobbling across the stage in heels that are far too high.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The back-and-forth over tariffs shook confidence in U.S. leadership, exposed fractures within Trump’s team and rattled companies that rely on global sources for products and international customers for sales.—
Time,
Time,
10 Apr. 2025
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Trump's punishing tariffs have shaken a global trading order that has persisted for decades, raised fears of recession, and driven worldwide stocks sharply downward.—
Joe Cash and Trevor Hunnicutt,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But for companies that are in the crosshairs of Trump’s wavering policy decisions, all the uncertainty remains.—
Ari Levy,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2025
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But the 5-foot-9 senior never wavered in her confidence in anyone on her roster.—
Ben Pickman,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Most residents in the beachfront luxury condominium at Surfside were asleep in their beds when their 12-story residential building shuddered and then collapsed, pinning sleeping residents between the heavy concrete slabs of each floor.—
Bruce Strom,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Apr. 2025
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Image Wall Street shuddered in response, with early market reaction pointing to a further slide in the stock market and a weakening dollar.—
Natasha Frost,
New York Times,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Falter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falter. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
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