as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
when it's so clear that this is the right thing to do, there's no excuse for faltering
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in wobbly
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in hesitating
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in trembling
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 faltering
Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
The Reds' season can be described as consistently inconsistent but playing well down the stretch and the New York Mets faltering has led to an opportunity to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2020.
—Jason Hoffman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Sep. 2025
And the media went along with her coverup, despite Biden’s obvious faltering.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 7 Aug. 2025
Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2026
As of Thursday, other digital assets like ether and solana were also down 24% and 26% for the week to date, respectively — a sign investors’ confidence in the entire crypto market is faltering.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2026
The fact that the NCAA couldn’t hold him out has inspired other faltering pros to reverse course.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Their faltering attempt at a total crackdown—which can’t muzzle the anger and bravery of ordinary people—and its general odor of malicious incompetence, is even seeping into the White House’s hermetic media echo chamber.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Against Gauff, Svitolina displayed relentless aggression, attacking the American’s faltering forehand.
—Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
The company’s aging lineup and slow-selling Cybertruck faces growing competition from fresher EVs offered by mainstream carmakers, while the loss of federal tax credits for EV purchasers in the US has put more pressure on demand that already was faltering.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
Human rights activists say at least 2,500 people have been killed since protesters took to the streets last month, initially in a show of anger against rising prices and a faltering economy.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 16 Jan. 2026
In a time of school shootings, classroom bullying, culture wars over curricula, and faltering test scores, the impulse of some parents to take over their child’s education is understandable.
—Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2026
Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
The announcement by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday came after hours of indications that the anticipated talks were faltering over changes in the format and content of the talks.
—Jon Gambrell The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 5 Feb. 2026
Tesla reported its first-ever decline in annual revenue, with sales faltering across three of the past four quarters.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 29 Jan. 2026
Darnold has also found some big-game redemption after faltering for the Minnesota Vikings late in the season last year.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 18 Jan. 2026
And his retribution campaign—faltering to this point, to be sure—targeted the chairman of the Federal Reserve, who is now the subject of a Justice Department investigation.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
The other half sees an economy on the verge of faltering, with rising unemployment, that needs easier money to avoid recession.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 9 Dec. 2025
Efforts to advance a US peace plan for Gaza appear to be faltering over reconstruction and security challenges.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 11 Nov. 2025
That reinforced the idea that inflation concerns should take a backseat to worries about faltering job growth.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
Many in town say the struggle to transform Scotia mirrors a larger struggle in Humboldt County, which has been rocked, first by the faltering of its logging industry and more recently by the collapse of its cannabis economy.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
The Reds' season can be described as consistently inconsistent but playing well down the stretch and the New York Mets faltering has led to an opportunity to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2020.
—Jason Hoffman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Sep. 2025
And the media went along with her coverup, despite Biden’s obvious faltering.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Letter writer kept cancer diagnosis private to avoid people’s reactions, but that plan is faltering as illness progresses.
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2026
As of Thursday, other digital assets like ether and solana were also down 24% and 26% for the week to date, respectively — a sign investors’ confidence in the entire crypto market is faltering.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2026
The fact that the NCAA couldn’t hold him out has inspired other faltering pros to reverse course.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Their faltering attempt at a total crackdown—which can’t muzzle the anger and bravery of ordinary people—and its general odor of malicious incompetence, is even seeping into the White House’s hermetic media echo chamber.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Against Gauff, Svitolina displayed relentless aggression, attacking the American’s faltering forehand.
—Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
The company’s aging lineup and slow-selling Cybertruck faces growing competition from fresher EVs offered by mainstream carmakers, while the loss of federal tax credits for EV purchasers in the US has put more pressure on demand that already was faltering.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
Human rights activists say at least 2,500 people have been killed since protesters took to the streets last month, initially in a show of anger against rising prices and a faltering economy.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 16 Jan. 2026
In a time of school shootings, classroom bullying, culture wars over curricula, and faltering test scores, the impulse of some parents to take over their child’s education is understandable.
—Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2026
Verb
Another cousin, the son of my industrialist uncle, has given up regattas and the hedonist’s life for a position in his father’s company that is, like all companies in Turkey, faltering under the tremendous burden of an economy in tailspin.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
The announcement by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday came after hours of indications that the anticipated talks were faltering over changes in the format and content of the talks.
—Jon Gambrell The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 5 Feb. 2026
Tesla reported its first-ever decline in annual revenue, with sales faltering across three of the past four quarters.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 29 Jan. 2026
Darnold has also found some big-game redemption after faltering for the Minnesota Vikings late in the season last year.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 18 Jan. 2026
And his retribution campaign—faltering to this point, to be sure—targeted the chairman of the Federal Reserve, who is now the subject of a Justice Department investigation.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
The other half sees an economy on the verge of faltering, with rising unemployment, that needs easier money to avoid recession.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 9 Dec. 2025
Efforts to advance a US peace plan for Gaza appear to be faltering over reconstruction and security challenges.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 11 Nov. 2025
That reinforced the idea that inflation concerns should take a backseat to worries about faltering job growth.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faltering
Noun
-
One mistake or moment of hesitation could mean death.—
Scott Haugen,
Outdoor Life,
4 Feb. 2026
-
This feature helps eliminate jerky movements and hesitation.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And this seems a little wobbly.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Market questions Another important factor has been a wobbly stock market this year, Friday’s massive rally notwithstanding.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
However, if large enterprises are hesitating to commit and implement, that’s a broader industry headwind impacting everyone, not just SAP.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The appeals court, however, said staying the injunction serves the public interest by preventing federal agents from hesitating while carrying out lawful duties.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Funding was eventually restored after a series of lawsuits challenging payment pauses, eligibility requirements, and requests from the federal government for sensitive citizen data.—
Isa Almeida,
Oklahoman,
14 Feb. 2026
-
That pause in dopamine release signals a failure in reward arrival, a new kind of prediction error.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But a month after Maduro’s capture, while some see reason for optimism in the economy and releases of political prisoners, the country remains on an uncertain path.—
CNN 9 hr ago,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Garland’s uncertain availability, and the Cavaliers’ need to get star Donovan Mitchell more scoring help, motivated Cleveland to swap their young floor leader for Harden, who is 10 years older.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
His posture keeps him from wobbling to either side and falling out of the jump.—
Joy Sung,
Washington Post,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The president himself devised a solution to put a steady hand on the wobbling controls.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Medical experts and public health leaders say overcoming hesitancy is key in preventing further spread in and around Charlotte, and preventing the rise of other infectious diseases.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Warsh, a former Fed governor with a Wall Street background, has been critical of the central bank's handling of inflation in the past and told CNBC in July that its hesitancy to cut interest rates undermined its credibility.—
Jessica Dickler,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Changes to district lines weren’t always clearly communicated, and residents are understandably unsure about who represents them or how county decisions affect them now.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Police are unsure of her and Nava's whereabouts.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Faltering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faltering. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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