tottered

verb

past tense of totter
1
as in staggered
to move forward while swaying from side to side tottered around the house as she practiced walking in high heels

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in faltered
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

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 tottered Like a lot of us who tottered into consciousness in the second half of the 20th century, Les Claypool grew up with cartoons from the family television beaming into his retinas. — Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 2 Aug. 2026 Outside, a gull tottered to the window and tapped its beak against the glass. — Literary Hub, 13 July 2026 On the floor, waist-high piles of books tottered like miniature leaning towers of Pisa. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tottered
  1. staggered
  2. faltered
  3. lurched
  4. wobbled
  5. shook
  6. rocked
  7. shuddered
Verb
  • The funding document stated that the funding would be staggered and tied to different stages of the project, such as the official announcement of filming in Madrid, the start of shooting, and that Madrid had to appear in the film’s title.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Darwin, by then forty-nine and not in the greatest health, was staggered.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of staggered
Verb
  • In the rest of the state, Graham prevailed — including in the Charleston area, where former governor and congressman Mark Sanford endorsed Norman after his own Senate campaign faltered.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • But their turnout in Broward, the state’s last big remaining Democratic stronghold, faltered.
    — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of faltered
Verb
  • Markets have lurched up and down as oil prices shot higher because of the war with Iran.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • His car lurched forward with Miller’s arm still reaching through the window, briefly dragging the cop down the street.
    — Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of lurched
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 structure beneath Klopp wobbled, and Liverpool bounced between sporting directors — one of whom, Jorg Schmadtke, Klopp was allowed to source himself.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of wobbled
Verb
  • Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have decided to move from from their Montecito idyll to the United Kingdom in mere weeks, news that generated countless headlines and shook royal society to its core.
    — Chandler Tregaskes, Vanity Fair, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The temblor set off emergency quake alerts on mobile phones and also significantly shook Tokyo.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of shook
Verb
  • Notably, Lohan rocked a $3,000 minidress by Cult Gaia in strawberry-pink, the perfect complement to her long blonde hair and pink lipstick.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The sports world was rocked this past week by accusations that Major League Baseball's richest team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, were funded primarily by fraud.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of rocked
Verb
  • On Thursday, Clancy loudly sobbed, shuddered and covered her face with her hands as a medical examiner testified about Callan’s autopsy.
    — Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The way the stadium shuddered with noise.
    — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 7 May 2026
Definition of shuddered

Browse Nearby Words

totter
tottered
tottering
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Cite this Entry

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

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