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
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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of totter
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.
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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
The singer’s sweeping eyeliner, tottering heels and disheveled beehive are still instantly recognizable, 13 years after her death.
—Simran Hans, New York Times, 16 May 2024
The result, critics say: the government and its already tottering institutions were further weakened.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for totter 
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
The singer’s sweeping eyeliner, tottering heels and disheveled beehive are still instantly recognizable, 13 years after her death.
—Simran Hans, New York Times, 16 May 2024
The result, critics say: the government and its already tottering institutions were further weakened.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for totter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totter
Verb
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The Peach, Rose, and Sugar bowls will be staggered throughout the day on Jan. 1.Ross Terrell, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
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That moment came in the third round when the champ staggered the ex-champ with a right.Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Were Russia to falter in the war and start seeking an exit, countries outside Europe could be vital to the ensuing diplomacy.Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2024
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Like many in the auto industry, Stellantis has been contending with a perfect storm of challenges on the road to full electrification, including faltering global demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and competition from China.Matt Clinch,Sam Meredith, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Boeing has been lurching from crisis to crisis since January when the door panel blew off a near-new 737 MAX plane in midair, leading to the departure of Kelly's predecessor, Dave Calhoun.Dan Catchpole and Allison Lampert, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024
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Rather than succumbing to intoxication over the killing of Nasrallah and lurching into a full-scale, devastating regional war against Iran, Israel should take advantage of its current battlefield edge and Hamas’s and Hezbollah’s weakened state.Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 4 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Even before stepping into the White House again, Trump’s plans have the Federal Reserve trembling.Peter Green, Quartz, 9 Nov. 2024
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At a rally in North Carolina last week, Trump mentioned Obama getting back on the trail and made his voice tremble in fake terror before dismissing him.Alex Thompson, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The deer slows, turns broadside, wobbles a bit, then falls dead.Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 30 Oct. 2024
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All these policies would help Black and Latino families, and so might shore up their wobbling loyalty to the Democratic Party.Nicholas Lemann, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Over the next few years, a plague of disorder will descend upon America, and maybe the world, shaking everything loose.David Brooks, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
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Maybe that’s why World Cups end with the two teams shaking hands, one offering congratulations and the other condolences, and elections don’t.Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The singer-songwriter, who brought her dad, Scott Swift, with her to the game, rocked a plaid dress with thigh-high black boots.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
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But the youngsters' older siblings took costume ideas into their own hands, with Luna rocking a creepy black-and-red clown look while Miles dressed up and dabbed as DJ Marshmello.Jen Juneau, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Totter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totter. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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