1
as in to hesitate
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
William Lloyd Garrison never once faltered in his demand that slavery be unconditionally abolished
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to tremble
to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side
the cut tree seemed to falter for a moment before crashing to the ground
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of falter
Then its core cooled, its magnetic field faltered and its atmosphere drifted away.
—
Ari Koeppel, The Conversation, 22 May 2025
According to Tapper and Thompson’s book, Newsom was in the room on a handful of occasions when Biden faltered or questions about his mental acuity arose.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 22 May 2025
On May 20, just weeks after power outages swept across the Iberian Peninsula, mobile networks in parts of Spain began to falter.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 22 May 2025
Boca had faltered in the play-in round of the Copa Libertadores, which kept them out of the continental tournament that Boca has won six times.
—Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for falter
Ari Koeppel, The Conversation, 22 May 2025
According to Tapper and Thompson’s book, Newsom was in the room on a handful of occasions when Biden faltered or questions about his mental acuity arose.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 22 May 2025
On May 20, just weeks after power outages swept across the Iberian Peninsula, mobile networks in parts of Spain began to falter.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 22 May 2025
Boca had faltered in the play-in round of the Copa Libertadores, which kept them out of the continental tournament that Boca has won six times.
—Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for falter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for falter
Verb
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Those that hesitate to modernize risk becoming less competitive in today’s fast-moving market.—
John Bruno,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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As Mars slips into your 12th house on June 17, your energy turns inward, so don’t hesitate to take a step back to rest, recharge and take a break from the social scene.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
1 June 2025
Verb
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Nearby on the floor, O'Hara trembles and begs for her life.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
1 June 2025
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More recently, Trump announced 50% tariffs on goods from the European Union last Friday, sending investors trembling during the long holiday weekend, before walking back on the decision Sunday evening.—
Lee Ying Shan,Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
29 May 2025
Verb
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This is because a planet's altitude in the sky is dependent in part on the inclination of the ecliptic relative to the horizon, which shifts throughout the year due to Earth's wobbling orbit.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
31 May 2025
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Stocks wobbled on Thursday but ended with a gain, as Wall Street’s embrace of a ruling against President Trump’s trade policy quickly gave way to doubts about its long-term impact.—
Jason Karaian,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
Verb
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In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes hands with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (R) after a signing ceremony following their bilateral talks at Kumsusan state residence in Pyongyang, on June 19, 2024.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
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This isn’t the first time Kotb’s amassed the courage to shake things up.—
Hannah Dylan Pasternak,
SELF,
28 May 2025
Verb
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His mood wavers between disgust and disdain, and his people skills were not improved by nearly dying in an ambush that left one policeman dead and Morck’s partner, Detective Sergeant Hardy (Jamie Sives), in a wheelchair.—
Kristen Baldwin,
EW.com,
29 May 2025
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During the event, the vice president vowed that unequivocal support for law enforcement would not waver under the Trump administration’s watch.—
Asher Notheis,
The Washington Examiner,
25 May 2025
Verb
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Trump’s early-morning social-media missive caused markets to shudder.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
23 May 2025
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One shudders to think how Ross, whom Grant divorced in 1929, and who died in 1951, would have reacted to so echoing a lack.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Falter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falter. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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