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
  • Work has already begun on various projects, which are being staggered to avoid closing the museum completely.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The hole gently bends from right to left, with fairway bunkers staggered along both sides.
    — Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of staggered
Verb
  • Apartment values appear to have faltered in Oakland, an economic erosion that has unleashed loan delinquencies and even foreclosures in a growing number of instances.
    — George Avalos, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • But in Sunday’s matchup against the Portland Thorns, that unit faltered in a major way.
    — Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 9 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 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
  • Healthcare is a classic defensive sector, so as the AI trade wobbled and investors booked profits in first-half winners, more money flowed in the direction of companies like J & J, Cardinal and our other Club healthcare name Eli Lilly .
    — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 14 July 2026
Definition of wobbled
Verb
  • None of this much mattered to student Aayden Vasquez, who is excited about starting at Pacoima Middle School and shook hands with Chait, Garcha and anyone else who offered a palm during their visit to his home.
    — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Tarrant County District Attorney In mid-November 1996, Narez shook her daughter, Kasandra White, and threw the child into a wall, causing her head to strike a door, according to the 1999 Tarrant County grand jury indictment.
    — S.E. Jenkins, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of shook
Verb
  • First, Babar Azam, recently reappointed as captain, rocked on to his back foot and deposited the hosts’ Jomel Warrican over long on and into the stand at the Queen’s Park Oval for six.
    — Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Fenix rocked El Fiscal with big kicks followed by a moonsault for a nearfall.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 17 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

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tottered
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Cite this Entry

“Tottered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tottered. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tottered

Nglish: Translation of tottered for Spanish Speakers

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