as in shaking
marked by or given to small uncontrollable bodily movements
after the accident, she was only able to take a few tottering steps at a time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in staggering
to move forward while swaying from side to side
tottered around the house as she practiced walking in high heels
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in faltering
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of tottering
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Among them a City boy wearing three Fit-Bit-type devices, two beautiful Middle Eastern sisters, an outrageously pompous elderly American (sorry; eavesdropping), and several Imelda Marcos lookalikes, tottering out of the treatment rooms with, somehow, their elaborate hairstyles still intact.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Models are tottering on the cobblestoned Bond Street with their heels getting stuck in the rivets.
—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
Now, even that tiny effort is tottering.
—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Now, even that tiny effort is tottering.
—
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Neither of them understands the other’s dynamic with Daniel, and the split-episode format keeps our sympathies teeter-tottering between each woman.
—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
In an accompanying cartoon, Spark is caricatured as a sulking giant, tottering above the Tuscan countryside in a pair of high heels.
—
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Among them a City boy wearing three Fit-Bit-type devices, two beautiful Middle Eastern sisters, an outrageously pompous elderly American (sorry; eavesdropping), and several Imelda Marcos lookalikes, tottering out of the treatment rooms with, somehow, their elaborate hairstyles still intact.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Models are tottering on the cobblestoned Bond Street with their heels getting stuck in the rivets.
—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
Now, even that tiny effort is tottering.
—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Now, even that tiny effort is tottering.
—
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tottering
Adjective
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Though still somewhat shaky, shipping confidence in transiting the vital strait is rising rapidly, leading forecasters to warn of an impending oil glut; Citi predicts prices could fall to as low as $60 a barrel by the end of the year.
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The Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness programs faced a shaky timeline, characterized by persistent legal roadblocks, which culminated in a 2023 Supreme Court defeat.
Verb
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The works depicted broken figures staggering toward the viewer in ragged uniforms — in distorted sizes, giant hands and small heads.
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The works depicted broken figures staggering toward the viewer in ragged uniforms — in distorted sizes, giant hand and small heads.
Verb
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Chris Jung | Nurphoto | Getty Images Shares of Nvidia have been faltering recently — and Kalshi traders predict that what the company can charge for chips is also declining.
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After faltering in last year’s Div.
Verb
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The old guard of the Democratic Party suffered another body blow when three socialist congressional candidates in New York with anti-Israel platforms swept to victory, lurching the party even further to the left.
-
Taking the ride with Lazy Horse means embracing that chaos, lurching from song to song.
Verb
-
The plate currently featured front and center, SpaceX, has been wobbling after an underwhelming IPO.
-
Along the way, LePage fills the film with imaginative emotional landmarks from the Island of the Flakes to the Kind Heart Outlet and whimsical visual metaphors, including a wobbling mound of Jell-O that becomes an unlikely symbol of resilience.
Verb
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Among the biggest beneficiaries have been puffins, whose population has grown from just 13 birds in 2000 to 1,335 in 2026 after teetering on the brink of local extinction.
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The film won an Oscar, helped earn Gore a Nobel Prize, and convinced young Americans that civilization was teetering on the brink.
Verb
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This tournament has built credibility by showcasing teams competing at a high level, then shaking hands afterward.
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An earth-shaking roar The World Cup finally arrived in Kansas City after several years of preparation and anticipation.
Verb
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Alongside Chase and her family stands film director Guy Ritchie; not as a badge‑on celebrity, but as a creative collaborator who has invested both capital and time in the project, designing the Wild Kitchen feasting tables and quietly weaving the whisky into his storytelling world.
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But over the nearly one-and-a-half years since the 2025 mega-fires, native and invasive grasses, bushes and trees have begun to regrow, weaving flammable greenery across the landscape.
Cite this Entry
“Tottering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tottering. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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