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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of stagger
By the time the Magic staggered into Detroit for Game 7 on Sunday afternoon, the outcome felt less like a question and more like an inevitability.
—
Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 May 2026
The works depicted broken figures staggering toward the viewer in ragged uniforms — in distorted sizes, giant hand and small heads.
—ABC News, 1 May 2026
Just remember to stagger any path lights so your walkway doesn’t look like an airport runway.
—Morgan Goldberg, Architectural Digest, 1 May 2026
When Your State’s Medicaid Work Requirement Kicks In The rollout is staggered.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for stagger
Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 May 2026
The works depicted broken figures staggering toward the viewer in ragged uniforms — in distorted sizes, giant hand and small heads.
—ABC News, 1 May 2026
Just remember to stagger any path lights so your walkway doesn’t look like an airport runway.
—Morgan Goldberg, Architectural Digest, 1 May 2026
When Your State’s Medicaid Work Requirement Kicks In The rollout is staggered.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for stagger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stagger
Verb
-
So between those two things, the balance of gerrymanders has lurched pretty abruptly toward the right.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
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Meanwhile, federal policy has lurched in opposite directions.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
Verb
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One risk is that the AI might falter and fail to detect that a person has an actual mental health condition that warrants attention.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
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With most tropical reefs expected to face conditions like the Gulf’s by 2100—and already faltering under increasingly frequent marine heat waves—that makes the Gulf’s coral a source of valuable genetic information about resilience that could have implications for the rest of the world’s reefs.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Models are tottering on the cobblestoned Bond Street with their heels getting stuck in the rivets.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
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Now, even that tiny effort is tottering.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And the Los Angeles Chargers didn’t hesitate on pulling the trigger.—
Greg Dudek,
Boston Herald,
15 May 2026
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When leadership is too removed, teams hesitate.—
Sue Mysko,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Rasmus Dahlin scored 32 seconds into the game on a nifty backhand after weaving through Montreal’s zone.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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Sarah George is the pastry chef at The Palmerston—a beloved Edinburgh restaurant—who seamlessly weaves whisky into classic recipes.—
Carinne Geil Botta,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
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In other words, voters didn’t accidentally stumble into supporting term limits.—
Jovani Patterson,
Baltimore Sun,
16 May 2026
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The Bucs gave up nearly 26 points per game in the final two months of the season while stumbling to a 2-7 finish.—
John Romano,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 May 2026
Verb
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There’s the area’s natural beauty, of course, inherent in the 12,000 acres of Georgia countryside—forests, rolling landscapes, creeks, and atmospheric ponds—that lie just 85 miles east of Atlanta on the state’s second largest lake.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
16 May 2026
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Because either McCluskie is one heck of a con man who rolled both Becerra and Williamson, making both believe what was happening was kosher with entirely different tales, or someone isn’t being entirely honest.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Women in America’s boardrooms made strides as corporations shuffled their mostly White and male lineups in the face of the historic pushback in 2020.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
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Tall soldiers in bearskin caps shuffled a few inches to the left, or right, to give the parade its proper visual proportions.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stagger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stagger. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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