1
as in to lurch
to move forward while swaying from side to side
I was so tired last night that I just staggered upstairs to bed without eating dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to falter
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
a daunting problem that would make even the most decisive person stagger just a bit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of stagger
The rollout has taken a long time, and it’s been staggered across different models.
—
David Phelan, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
The first polls have already opened in Newfoundland, Canada’s most eastern province, at 7 a.m. E.T. Polls in other provinces will open later, staggered by timezones.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 28 Apr. 2025
As voting hours are staggered across the second largest country in the world, the real indication could be clear much earlier as Ontario and Quebec vote.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2025
However, a short right hook, one of the nine significant strikes Dos Santos landed in the first round, staggered his opponent.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stagger
David Phelan, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
The first polls have already opened in Newfoundland, Canada’s most eastern province, at 7 a.m. E.T. Polls in other provinces will open later, staggered by timezones.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 28 Apr. 2025
As voting hours are staggered across the second largest country in the world, the real indication could be clear much earlier as Ontario and Quebec vote.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2025
However, a short right hook, one of the nine significant strikes Dos Santos landed in the first round, staggered his opponent.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stagger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stagger
Verb
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Growing panicky, the animal lurched wildly, lost its footing altogether, and fell back toward me and my horse.—
Jim Carmichel,
Outdoor Life,
5 June 2025
-
Thereafter, plans for the cemetery lurched back to the Great Park but never successfully held on to momentum.—
Jonathan Horwitz,
Oc Register,
28 May 2025
Verb
-
Ocean protection efforts are faltering, with policy talk far outpacing tangible results.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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Doctoring provides powerful tools for getting under the hood, but writing offers ones that dig into the interstitial spaces where our more utilitarian tools falter.—
Danielle Ofri,
New Yorker,
7 June 2025
Verb
-
Dina Tomczak, the school’s athletic director, tottered into her office having barely slept.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
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The nation is tottering on the edge of dictatorship.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) hesitated to affirm his support for Schumer’s continued leadership.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
13 June 2025
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As good as the night was against an A’s team that has now lost 22 of 26 games, Soriano hesitated to call it his best.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
11 June 2025
Verb
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Stone cut and wove plastic mats, industrial carpeting, and everyday fabrics into strange yet hypnotic composites for the floors and walls.—
Hannah Martin,
Architectural Digest,
6 June 2025
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In weaving together these stories, Cuffy explores the varying shapes that grief, belief, and belonging can take.—Erin McMullen Buy Now: O Sinners!—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
6 June 2025
Verb
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On a remote island in northern Norway, metal detectorists stumbled upon a pair of bronze treasures.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2025
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While sorting through storage in their Rhode Island studio to prep those reissues, Ivy stumbled upon a treasure trove of reel-to-reel tapes and old hard drives with unused material.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
4 June 2025
Verb
-
Tanks will roll, helicopters will roar overhead, and fireworks will light up the night sky.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
12 June 2025
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Left unsaid: With the way the Mets’ rotation is rolling, what’s the rush?—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
12 June 2025
Verb
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The Discovery+ streaming service will be shuffled into the Global Networks company.—
Stephen Battaglio,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
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Boys as young as 10 are shuffling around, carrying trays of flour, starch and pistachios — undistracted by this reporting team's presence.—
Fatma Tanis,
NPR,
7 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stagger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stagger. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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