1
as in hesitated
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
he's still wavering about whether to take the job
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in faltered
to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side
the steel tower wavered for a moment before falling over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wavered
Breaking up Minnesota’s consistency Even after going down in the first quarter, Minnesota never wavered.
—
Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 15 Sep. 2025
The Detroit Auto Show has been through several iterations, though brand participation has never wavered.
—Liam Rappleye, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025
His beam wavered on a patch of blankness, or the corner of an amp, and then began to roam the stage in desperation, scanning here and scanning there—until, from the darkness, the voice of Bruce Dickinson, Iron Maiden’s singer, was heard.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025
Her comfortable lead over her four primary challengers never wavered as votes rolled in.
—Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025
The Detroit Auto Show has been through several iterations, though brand participation has never wavered.
—Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 9 Sep. 2025
For the Giants, bringing in Wilson represented a chance to stabilize an offense that had wavered in recent years.
—Dan Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
His health has wavered over the years, but his commitment to college football and the show never did.
—Stephanie Gallman Jordan, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2025
Others will find themselves out of sync with what the business needs next, even if their loyalty and effort never wavered.
—Hope Horner, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 15 Sep. 2025
The Detroit Auto Show has been through several iterations, though brand participation has never wavered.
—Liam Rappleye, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025
His beam wavered on a patch of blankness, or the corner of an amp, and then began to roam the stage in desperation, scanning here and scanning there—until, from the darkness, the voice of Bruce Dickinson, Iron Maiden’s singer, was heard.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025
Her comfortable lead over her four primary challengers never wavered as votes rolled in.
—Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025
The Detroit Auto Show has been through several iterations, though brand participation has never wavered.
—Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 9 Sep. 2025
For the Giants, bringing in Wilson represented a chance to stabilize an offense that had wavered in recent years.
—Dan Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
His health has wavered over the years, but his commitment to college football and the show never did.
—Stephanie Gallman Jordan, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2025
Others will find themselves out of sync with what the business needs next, even if their loyalty and effort never wavered.
—Hope Horner, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wavered
Verb
-
The company had traditionally hesitated to include browns in its product range, but in her first year, after nixing the violet, Waight Keller introduced mocha brown, chocolaty brown, and a winey brown that looked like it had been poured from a decanter.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Tran said some Republican clubs have even hesitated to ask their universities for support or security for their events.—
Hanna Kang,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The only categories that The Studio faltered in were the Supporting Actor/Actress in a Comedy categories.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Iranian officials have long pledged to restore the lake, but revival efforts have faltered.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The two of us boarded, then gently wobbled side to side for balance.—
Naaman Zhou,
New Yorker,
28 Aug. 2025
-
But the wheels wobbled, with spurts of energy coming to dead stops as Wayne bounced from song to song.—
Heather Bushman,
IndyStar,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
A week after suffering a gut-punch loss to Nevada in Reno when two winning touchdowns were called back in the final moment and a tying field goal with seconds to play just missed, Sac State shook off early jitters to unleash a balanced offense in improving to 1-2.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Just three months ago, Israel and Iran fought a 12-day war that shook the Middle East.—
Ian Bremmer,
Time,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Solid gold chains have been repped by almost every notable A-lister, artist, and athlete worth mentioning, and are consistently rocked by not just power players, but also power couples, proving that the gold chain is a winning his and hers jewelry piece.—
Samantha Solomon,
Vogue,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The sun had barely risen over the Arabian Sea, casting a pale gold shimmer across the water as a small fishing boat rocked gently on the swells.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wavered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wavered. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share