as in to stagger
to move forward while swaying from side to side
was doddering down the walk outside the nursing home
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Recent Examples of dodder
And, earlier today, at 7:23 am, one of our older Brothers, while doddering across the Reforma Promenade, was struck down and killed by a speeding motor scooter.
—
Charles Portis, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
Probably quite poorly, conjuring images of Trump doddering around on a golf course.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 21 July 2024
Jim Westwood, co-author and professor at Virginia Tech examines dodder.
—Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 9 Jan. 2018
Tel Aviv University biologist Daniel Chamovitz discusses dodder and many other fascinating plants in his upcoming book, What A Plant Knows, an excerpt from which appears in the May issue of Scientific American.
—Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2021
The Dodgers appeared to dodder in the first two games, running up huge pitch counts against Atlanta starters Max Fried and Ian Anderson, but failing to score a run in 14 of the first 15 innings.
—Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 15 Oct. 2020
Last, the researchers created a green fluorescent version of the flowering signal chemical, which provided visual evidence that dodder plant tissues can absorb the chemical and direct it to their flowering mechanisms.
—Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2020
As for pests, experts have identified a tiny wasp, two noxious weeds (water spinach and dodder) and a larval seed beetle.
—Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2020
The pale, curvy pillars of Phil Charlwood’s set variously represent forest trees; the cottage of the wise, doddering Sami Finn Woman (an amusing Anna Lynch); and, helped by frosty lighting designed by Doug Del Pizzo, the Snow Queen’s castle.
—Celia Wren, Washington Post, 15 Dec. 2019
Charles Portis, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
Probably quite poorly, conjuring images of Trump doddering around on a golf course.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 21 July 2024
Jim Westwood, co-author and professor at Virginia Tech examines dodder.
—Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 9 Jan. 2018
Tel Aviv University biologist Daniel Chamovitz discusses dodder and many other fascinating plants in his upcoming book, What A Plant Knows, an excerpt from which appears in the May issue of Scientific American.
—Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2021
The Dodgers appeared to dodder in the first two games, running up huge pitch counts against Atlanta starters Max Fried and Ian Anderson, but failing to score a run in 14 of the first 15 innings.
—Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 15 Oct. 2020
Last, the researchers created a green fluorescent version of the flowering signal chemical, which provided visual evidence that dodder plant tissues can absorb the chemical and direct it to their flowering mechanisms.
—Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2020
As for pests, experts have identified a tiny wasp, two noxious weeds (water spinach and dodder) and a larval seed beetle.
—Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2020
The pale, curvy pillars of Phil Charlwood’s set variously represent forest trees; the cottage of the wise, doddering Sami Finn Woman (an amusing Anna Lynch); and, helped by frosty lighting designed by Doug Del Pizzo, the Snow Queen’s castle.
—Celia Wren, Washington Post, 15 Dec. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dodder
Verb
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Payments are staggered based on recipients’ birthdays, with those born in the first 10 days of a month receiving their checks on the second Wednesday, and so on.—
Teresa Ghilarducci,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
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And 20 of the 40 seats in the California State Senate (which has four-year terms) will also be contested, as Senate seats are staggered with half up for election every two years.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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But the ruling did little to herald any political stability in the country, which has lurched from crisis to crisis.—
Choe Sang-Hun,
New York Times,
24 Mar. 2025
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For the last six weeks, Americans have been yanked and ghosted, lurched and launched with a merciless urgency.—
Philip Elliott,
TIME,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The real power of these agents emerges from their ability to weave functionalities together seamlessly.—
Egor Pushkin,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
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The space has been meticulously reimagined by the design firm Post Company, which has woven together a tapestry of textures and materials to create a setting that feels intimate and transportive.—
Caroline Tell,
Forbes,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The result would be that incumbents would lag, populists would surge, and democratic institutions would totter.—
Moisés Naím,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2025
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The country’s economy is tottering and reliant on IMF bailouts, while the powerful military is entrenched in every aspect of life, according to its critics.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN,
22 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dodder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dodder. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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