WOBBLINGS Synonyms: 164 Similar and Opposite Words

wobbling 1 of 3

adjective

variants also wabbling

as in shaking

marked by or given to small uncontrollable bodily movements her wobbling gait is due to Parkinson's disease

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

wobbling

2 of 3

noun

variants also wabbling

as in hesitation

a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action the mayor's apparent wobbling on the issue of increased property taxes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

wobbling

3 of 3

verb

variants also wabbling

present participle of wobble

as in jerking

to make a series of small irregular or violent movements the patient's hand wobbles so much that he can scarcely hold a glass of water

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in lurching

to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions the table wobbled whenever I leaned on it

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in hesitating

to show uncertainty about the right course of action we cannot afford to have the governor wobble at this critical time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in faltering

to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side the drunk stood up, wobbled for a moment, and fell forward

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 wobbling

Noun

The swift rebound when a nation switches from a wobbling to hard currency is a scenario Hanke has witnessed many times before in his adventures as the Money Doctor. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026 Softening rather than stiffening when moving through space requires embracing your body’s natural sway and tiny micro-movements, like an ankle wobbling or knee jiggling. — Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026 During testing, the creator found that the stock connection caused excessive wobbling while driving, leading to the development of a custom dual-rod mechanism designed to stabilize head movement. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 22 May 2026 Losers often exit the octagon wobbling, smiling, fogged, concussed. — David Remnick, New Yorker, 22 May 2026 That wobbling can allow Arctic air from the troposphere — or contained within the polar jet stream — to move elsewhere. — Brandi D. Addison, Freep.com, 6 Feb. 2026 Most exoplanetary discoveries instead arise through far more indirect means, such as the dip in a star’s light caused by a world passing between its sun and our telescope or the tiny wobbling of a star caused by an orbiting planet’s gravitational tug. — Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2025

Verb

In addition to rewards for moving at the right speed and in the right direction and penalties for things like wobbling or jerky movement, the team introduced a novel way to keep the hand in a crawling stance during the simulated training. — Edd Gent, IEEE Spectrum, 8 Oct. 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 Which is troubling for buildings like 432 Park Avenue, a skyscraper made using white concrete that features heavily in The History of Concrete, wobbling in the wind. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026 The House of Murphy is a juggernaut, but its foundation appears to be wobbling. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 8 Aug. 2026 Noe negotiated with Li Shan in a pidgin mix of French, English, and Cantonese as the workers fanned out on the wobbling platform, slipping on the slick bodies and shells of the catch. — Literary Hub, 16 July 2026 If symptoms escalate to vomiting, wobbling or bright red gums, get to a veterinarian as quickly as possible. — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 13 July 2026 The longer uncertainty lingers, the more risk there is for stocks at a moment when the market leaders, chipmakers, are wobbling. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 9 July 2026 The plate currently featured front and center, SpaceX, has been wobbling after an underwhelming IPO. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 2 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wobbling

Adjective

Despite the Cougars’ shaky start, with all that Pac-12 prestige, exposure and, importantly, financial income under both teams’ belts, does either have an inherent advantage over the conference’s newcomers?

— Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 22 Oct. 2026
The Glee reboot should pepper the series with some fun cameos from beloved characters, many of whom got cast in the later shakier seasons, as well as some of the most fun guest stars.

— Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of shaky

Noun

After some hesitation, the co-anchor finally placed his crown on his head.

— Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
The slowdown in investment was put down to government hesitation over changes to Italy’s domestic tax incentive for TV shows and films.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of hesitation

Verb

Darren Gold, who is now board president, said Gonzales-Torres falsely accused him of shaking her, prompting a city investigation.

— Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Traders woke up in a cheerful mood today, shaking off the riots in France and the rising price of oil.

— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of shaking

Verb

After a handful of supremely mellow releases that blended lurching ’90s breakbeats with wintry, Mazzy Star-like songwriting, their third album dives into a vat of mercurial distortion and slippery, all-consuming bass.

— Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026
Irvine, who was commuting home from his job as a technician in a dark blue Volkswagen hatchback, came to an abrupt stop in free-flowing traffic, lurching to the far-right lane.

— Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of lurching

Verb

With more than seven million people packed into over 9,000 high-rises, efficiency is key here, and people will judge you for holding up lines, hesitating with your Octopus card, or lingering over your dim sum table while others are waiting.

— Lee Cobaj, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
But experts have worried that doctors are hesitating to offer treatment without an ironclad diagnosis, which clinicians say can take time and increase risks to the mother.

— Andrea Suozzo, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of hesitating

Verb

European regulators are putting fierce pressure on Tesla regarding potential road safety issues, while faltering US sales are bringing the economic viability of an international rollout into question.

— Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2026
Analysts noted that the brand was bucking trends among Chinese consumers, where most luxury brands have been faltering this quarter.

— Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of faltering

Noun

While older generations may interpret limited eye contact, a flat expression or a pause before responding as rude, lazy or unprofessional, that might not be a younger person’s intent at all, Leahy said.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
The pause lasted more than a year, straining cattle supply and contributing to record-high beef prices.

— Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of pause

Verb

And like any great sitcom, Friends runs the gamut from numbing brain-rot to tear-jerking sentimentality.

— Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 9 Sep. 2026
Even after a bailiff woke him up, Martin slumped over in his wheelchair, inside a courtroom bullpen, occasionally jerking and opening his eyes.

— Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of jerking

Browse Nearby Words

wobbles

wobbling

wobbly

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of wobbling

adjective

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

shindig

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes