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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of totter
What even is progressivism? Famous for being a pioneer of progressive political discourse, San Francisco has in recent years tottered toward the center.
—
Defne Karabatur, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024
The Vodafone Japan deal, on the other hand, was executed at a time when SoftBank was tottering, required extraordinary chutzpah, flawless execution and a ton of cash.
—Alok Sama, Fortune Asia, 17 Sep. 2024
Gorbachev was desperate to ease the burden of the arms race on his tottering communist system, and Reagan had long harbored an ambition to abolish nuclear weapons altogether.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 17 June 2024
These include a chocolate-brown safe about five feet tall that reveals itself to be full of bobbleheads, the tottering rictus of Suns-era Stephon Marbury peering out at me from the dark.
—Giri Nathan, Vulture, 22 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for totter 
Defne Karabatur, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024
The Vodafone Japan deal, on the other hand, was executed at a time when SoftBank was tottering, required extraordinary chutzpah, flawless execution and a ton of cash.
—Alok Sama, Fortune Asia, 17 Sep. 2024
Gorbachev was desperate to ease the burden of the arms race on his tottering communist system, and Reagan had long harbored an ambition to abolish nuclear weapons altogether.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 17 June 2024
These include a chocolate-brown safe about five feet tall that reveals itself to be full of bobbleheads, the tottering rictus of Suns-era Stephon Marbury peering out at me from the dark.
—Giri Nathan, Vulture, 22 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for totter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totter
Verb
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This election will also see the village comply with changes to its electoral code by instituting term limits, staggered terms for trustees, non-partisan elections and a change in structure of how trustees are elected, including some elected from districts and some elected at large.—
Richard Requena,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2025
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Six years later, they are thrown together at a 500-year-old estate in Wales, and what follows is epic in scale and staggering in its beauty.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
2 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Tesla's dominance in the electric vehicle market continues to falter as the brand reported its fifth consecutive quarterly registration decline.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
7 Feb. 2025
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Was this the beginning of the end of the nerves, of their stay in the second tier, of their rivals’ hopes Leeds might yet falter?—
Beren Cross,
The Athletic,
6 Feb. 2025
Verb
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After striking the barriers, the truck backed up, then lurched forward, striking the metal barriers a second time.—
Alexandra Koch,
Fox News,
26 Jan. 2025
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The dollar continued its long-running rise, as the expectation of higher interest rates in the United States maintained its allure for investors around the world, even as yields in other bond markets lurched higher.—
Joe Rennison,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Sometimes a less reliable dog will smell in this manner the hot body scent of venison as a trembling doe crouches close in the brush upwind.—
Frank C. Hibben,
Outdoor Life,
13 Feb. 2025
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As the solution flowed into both of his arms, Nelson at first trembled, then died in silence with his eyelids, on which dollar signs are tattooed, closed.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Now in its third go-round, the drama still wobbles in pursuit of an ideal balance.—
Angie Han,
The Hollywood Reporter,
14 Feb. 2025
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The idea is that as waves of dark matter wash over the satellite, its gravitational influence would wobble the levitating graphite.—
Michael Irving,
New Atlas,
12 Feb. 2025
Verb
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My desire is stronger for us, even in just this country, to heal, and to talk, and to shake each other’s hands.—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
10 Feb. 2025
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Fill the spray bottle with lukewarm water and shake gently.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
8 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Florida's southwest waterways are being rocked by red tide and a separate toxic algae bloom, which is believed to be linked to discharge from Lake Okeechobee.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
17 Feb. 2025
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Singapore, usually an oasis of stability, has been rocked by a series of political scandals in the past two years.—
Nicholas Yong,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near totter
Cite this Entry
“Totter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totter. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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