tottering 1 of 2

adjective

ˈtä-tə-riŋ How to pronounce tottering (audio)
Definition of totteringnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

tottering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of totter
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

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tottering
  1. teetering
  2. weaving
  3. shaking
  4. shaky
  5. shuffling
Verb
  • There are images of students teetering on stilts, of kids who look too small to be there playing with toy soldiers in a puddle of milk.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2024
  • The world is bracing for another energy crisis this winter, with natural gas markets teetering on the brink of volatility.
    Dan Eberhart, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Definition of teetering
Verb
  • The name has been around since 1909, weaving up iconic woolen and jacquard designs first for Indigenous communities and later for the masses.
    Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Nick was driving over 120 miles per hour in Beverly Hills, Florida, in Citrus County when a Florida Highway Patrol trooper observed the man weaving in-and-out of traffic.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of weaving
Verb
  • Symptoms like a fast heart rate, or shortness of breath, shaking and chills, confusion or lethargy.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
  • His home office was full of pictures of him shaking hands with famous visitors, like the Canadian Prime Minister and the Queen of Jordan.
    Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of shaking
Adjective
  • Quarterback Quinn Ewers had a little shaky of a game against Clemson but in the end, the Longhorns were too strong.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Now, under a shaky ceasefire, officials are only beginning to assess damage to homes and antiquities alike.
    Lauren Frayer, NPR, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of shaky
Verb
  • But the $12 billion decline in his fortune has more to do with asset shuffling than stock price movement.
    Julie Goldenberg, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
  • James has been shuffling back and forth between the NBA and the G League.
    Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Definition of shuffling
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near tottering

tottered

tottering

totters

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Cite this Entry

“Tottering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tottering. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tottering

Nglish: Translation of tottering for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of tottering for Arabic Speakers

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