totters

verb

present tense third-person singular of totter
1
as in staggers
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 falters
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 totters But The Gilded Age doesn’t do pure villains with its main cast, and Oscar totters between failson and tragic figure, the closeted heir of the Van Rhijn family dragged to hell and back after being defrauded of his mother’s fortune. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totters
  1. staggers
  2. falters
  3. lurches
  4. wobbles
  5. rocks
  6. shakes
Verb
  • Steely and deliberate songwriting that casually staggers down the line between rhythm and melody, laced with loose yet conscious jams.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 June 2026
  • Like many Florida school districts, OCPS staggers start times to most efficiently use its school buses and drivers.
    — Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026
Definition of staggers
Verb
  • The Clemson junior from Rienzi, Mississippi is chasing a football career, but if that falters might chose to follow his parents into the military.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Lucy’s constant sense of invention sometimes falters under the album’s new, megawatt spotlight, lacking the enticing mystery that gives their best music its power.
    — H.D. Angel, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of falters
Verb
  • Hop on the #6 double-decker from Central to Stanley beach, which lurches around Hong Kong Island's mountainous southern South China Sea coast (sit upstairs on the right-hand side).
    — Lee Cobaj, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The alternative is a region that lurches from crisis to crisis, and from one extreme to another.
    — DAN RESTREPO, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of lurches
Verb
  • If the fan wobbles noticeably at the ceiling or the mounting assembly moves, turn it off and have an electrician or qualified ceiling fan technician inspect it.
    — Tricia Goss, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Those impacts could also extend as far south as the New Jersey coast if the storm wobbles farther west.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of wobbles
Verb
  • But beyond artsy activities, this tablet also rocks powerful performance thanks to 8GB of expandable memory and 256GB of local storage.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 23 Oct. 2026
  • More than 180 acts have been announced so far for Treefort, which rocks multiple venues across downtown Boise.
    — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of rocks
Verb
  • Northwestern forward Nick Martinelli (2) shakes hands with guard Jake West (3) in the second half of a Big Ten Tournament game against Purdue on March, 12, 2026, at the United Center.
    — Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Then the shuttle appears on screen, the music swells and the room shakes with the tearing, rumbling force of a launch.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of shakes

Browse Nearby Words

tottering
totters
tottery
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Cite this Entry

“Totters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totters. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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