FALTER Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'falter' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of falter are hesitate , vacillate , and waver . While all these words mean "to show irresolution or uncertainty," falter implies a wavering or stumbling and often connotes nervousness, lack of courage, or outright fear. // never once faltered during her testimony

Q: When would 'hesitate' be a good substitute for 'falter'?

The words hesitate and falter can be used in similar contexts, but hesitate implies a pause before deciding or acting or choosing. // hesitated before answering the question

Q: When is 'vacillate' a more appropriate choice than 'falter'?

The synonyms vacillate and falter are sometimes interchangeable, but vacillate implies prolonged hesitation from inability to reach a firm decision. // vacillated until events were out of control

Q: In what contexts can 'waver' take the place of 'falter'?

In some situations, the words waver and falter are roughly equivalent. However, waver implies hesitation after seeming to decide and so connotes weakness or a retreat. // wavered in his support of the rebels

falter

verb

ˈfȯl-tər

Definition of falter

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the verb falter differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of falter are hesitate, vacillate, and waver. While all these words mean "to show irresolution or uncertainty," falter implies a wavering or stumbling and often connotes nervousness, lack of courage, or outright fear.

never once faltered during her testimony

When would hesitate be a good substitute for falter?

The words hesitate and falter can be used in similar contexts, but hesitate implies a pause before deciding or acting or choosing.

hesitated before answering the question

When is vacillate a more appropriate choice than falter?

The synonyms vacillate and falter are sometimes interchangeable, but vacillate implies prolonged hesitation from inability to reach a firm decision.

vacillated until events were out of control

In what contexts can waver take the place of falter?

In some situations, the words waver and falter are roughly equivalent. However, waver implies hesitation after seeming to decide and so connotes weakness or a retreat.

wavered in his support of the rebels

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 falter But to arrest that decline, governments will have to address the faltering state capacity that is driving it. — Jennifer Pahlka, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 After Stearns and Kostyuk won the first six points, the Williams sisters cut the deficit to one before eventually faltering on Venus’ double-fault on the final point. — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026 Even when teams share a common purpose, group conversations can still falter when responsibility is unclear. — Alison Wood Brooks, Harvard Business Review, 17 Aug. 2026 But those assurances quickly faltered, ‌human rights groups say. — Reuters, NBC news, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for falter

Recent Examples of Synonyms for falter

Verb

Changing the clock gets complicated There are reasons school districts that accept the science on adolescent sleep still hesitate to change their schedules.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 25 Aug. 2026
Though her books continue to be adapted into movies and recurring series, Moriarty has always hesitated to write a sequel.

— Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of hesitate

Verb

The ball wobbled, but Fields got underneath it for about a 40-yard catch.

— Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026
The thunder sound was a combination of wobbling window of shades of the ’40s to achieve that old school thunder sound that was layered in with some newer thunderclap sounds.

— Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of wobble

Verb

Beck didn’t participate in the book, but Riesman finds enough friends, family and associates to assemble a complex portrait of an artist who wants his audiences to see him as fashion-forward but has had a hard time shaking his past.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Thunderous applause may greet one documentary premiering at the Venice Film Festival, fitting for a story of athletes who shake the earth with every footfall.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of shake

Verb

And the constant small margins seem to be taking a toll, as the Dodgers’ bullpen and defense have wavered.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Allies left vulnerable Elsewhere, American allies are reeling from the realization that the United States’ unambiguous commitment to protecting them might be wavering.

— Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of waver

Verb

The system shudders a bit and then gets back to normal, like a person stubbing a toe or twisting an ankle faces discomfort and difficulty walking for a while.

— Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
There’s the studio version, which has some really interesting production, with Meg’s shuddering percussion that eventually grates and distracts, and Jack’s very chunky guitar.

— Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of shudder

Browse Nearby Words

falsity

falter

faltered

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“Falter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falter. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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