1
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
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
The nightcap meant nothing to either the Americans or Swedes: The U.S. had already clinched a spot in Thursday night’s championship game against Canada, which beat Finland earlier Monday, and Sweden needed Canada to falter to have a chance of making the final.
—
Jimmy Golen, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025
On a night where Magic forwards Franz Wagner (37 points) and Paolo Banchero (31) notched 30-plus points in the same game for just the second time this season and third time during their careers, Orlando faltered late against the Hawks at Kia Center on Monday.
—Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2025
Tesla's dominance in the electric vehicle market continues to falter as the brand reported its fifth consecutive quarterly registration decline.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
Steven Livingston, the founding director of the Institute for Data, Democracy & Politics at George Washington University, said Musk’s role shows how American democracy is already faltering.
—Ali Swenson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for falter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for falter
Verb
-
When asked for his prediction of who would win tournament MVP if Finland were to win the 4 Nations, Roope Hintz didn’t hesitate very long.—
-
Don’t hesitate to express your concerns, share your goals, or ask for guidance.—
Verb
-
Sometimes a less reliable dog will smell in this manner the hot body scent of venison as a trembling doe crouches close in the brush upwind.—
-
As the solution flowed into both of his arms, Nelson at first trembled, then died in silence with his eyelids, on which dollar signs are tattooed, closed.—
Verb
-
Now in its third go-round, the drama still wobbles in pursuit of an ideal balance.—
-
The idea is that as waves of dark matter wash over the satellite, its gravitational influence would wobble the levitating graphite.—
Verb
-
However, the partnership ended in early 2025, just weeks before this heist shook the crypto sphere.—
-
Kelli Bryant, 34, shook her head at times during her first court appearance on child abuse charges in Oakland County.—
Verb
-
But his passion for cricket never wavered and he was dedicated to qualifying as a cricketer for the U.S, which required 800 hours of coaching at the local level in order to fulfil International Cricket Council rules.—
-
Working under what were clearly harsh conditions, De Fontenay achieves a real level of intimacy with his two performers, whose characters are constantly wavering between moments of affection and resentment.—
Verb
-
But that steady flow of income and improvement came to a shuddering halt on October 7 as Hamas militants poured across the Gaza border and began their murder and kidnap spree across southern Israel.—
-
Mount Spurr, an Alaskan volcano shuddering with small earthquakes for 10 months, could erupt soon.—
Cite this Entry
“Falter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falter. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share