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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of stagger
If Tom Thibodeau can properly stagger the minutes of the starters then 2-3 of them will always be on the floor and the lack of a bench won’t be felt as much.
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Mikai Bruce, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2024
Taleb staggered El Hazoume with a combination, which forced his foe to the fence.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024
Irvine switched from at-large to district council elections this year, prompting this unique two-year term to help get the races staggered going forward.
—Jonathan Horwitz, Orange County Register, 19 Nov. 2024
The 49ers staggered into their week off with three straight losses with Shanahan saying his team looked tired.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stagger 
Mikai Bruce, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2024
Taleb staggered El Hazoume with a combination, which forced his foe to the fence.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024
Irvine switched from at-large to district council elections this year, prompting this unique two-year term to help get the races staggered going forward.
—Jonathan Horwitz, Orange County Register, 19 Nov. 2024
The 49ers staggered into their week off with three straight losses with Shanahan saying his team looked tired.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stagger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stagger
Verb
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The crew called the lead flight attendant onboard, but within a few seconds, the airplane lurched.Alexandra Skores, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
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In the end, UnitedHealth paid a bitcoin ransom worth some twenty-two million dollars, and the system lurched back online.Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Lindner also spoke ahead of Monday's vote, and blamed the coalition's downfall on its inability to come up with solutions to boost the country's faltering economy, which in turn alienated voters.H.J. Mai, NPR, 16 Dec. 2024
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The rally comes as markets in Asia and Europe faltered on lackluster economic data from China and broader uncertainty about the global economic outlook.Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
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European auto sales charts are filled with red ink as economies totter but a rare positive story surrounds Toyota’s premium subsidy Lexus, which will be helped by its newest electric vehicle, the RZ 300e.Neil Winton, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
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America was full of hope, tottering hastily toward a technological age filled with grand expectations for the future.Ruby Thélot, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Without hesitating, Weil jumped into the water to save his dogs, the video shows.Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024
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And, in many cases, your competitors may be the ones hesitating, creating significant opportunities for you.Ken Pomella, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Sailing to Byzantium weaves a dialogue between the works of Greek artist Alekos Fassianos (1935-2022) and the hHammam’s rich historical and cultural heritage.Lee Sharrock, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
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Advertisement Movies Review: ‘Madame Web’ weaves its way into primo ridiculousness, but Dakota Johnson fans should see it Feb. 13, 2024 Privileged but sad teen Sergei Kravinoff (Levi Miller) is attacked by a lion on a hunting safari with his Russian gangster father, Nikolai (Russell Crowe).Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The chances of you strolling up to a domain registrar and snapping up a domain worth thousands of dollars is about the same as stumbling upon a Jackson Pollock in a thrift store.Darpan Munjal, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
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In Northern California, the San Francisco Giants stumbled to another losing season in 2024.David K. Li, NBC News, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The Seahawks are rolling heading into another big game with the Packers coming to town in Week 15.Michael-Shawn Dugar, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024
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Instead, those lawmakers, led by Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO), the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, want to see border security and energy reform rolled into a single, larger tax package.David Sivak, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In other words, the 2023 offseason was the Celtics' last real shot to shuffle their supporting cast around Brown and Tatum.Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
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In addition, both received the Order of the British Empire in different years (2003 and 2017, respectively), and some tabloid media are shuffling the possibility of their knighthood.Nuria Luis, Glamour, 4 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Stagger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stagger. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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