1
as in to lurch
to move forward while swaying from side to side
I was so tired last night that I just staggered upstairs to bed without eating dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to falter
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
a daunting problem that would make even the most decisive person stagger just a bit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of stagger
As voting hours are staggered across the second largest country in the world, the real indication could be clear much earlier as Ontario and Quebec vote.
—
Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2025
However, a short right hook, one of the nine significant strikes Dos Santos landed in the first round, staggered his opponent.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
Even then, this was staggered, with First Division clubs subject to the Green Guide from 1976 onwards and the rest three years later.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 10 May 2025
That’s because there are actually 15 different broods at large, 12 of them observing a 17-year schedule and three making their appearance every 13 years—and the broods’ emergences are staggered.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stagger
Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2025
However, a short right hook, one of the nine significant strikes Dos Santos landed in the first round, staggered his opponent.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
Even then, this was staggered, with First Division clubs subject to the Green Guide from 1976 onwards and the rest three years later.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 10 May 2025
That’s because there are actually 15 different broods at large, 12 of them observing a 17-year schedule and three making their appearance every 13 years—and the broods’ emergences are staggered.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stagger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stagger
Verb
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Juventus are lurching from one coach to the next with no real vision for the future, while the once-mighty AC Milan will miss out on Europe altogether next season and the likes of Fiorentina, Torino and Parma – all having won major trophies in the past – are shadows of their former selves.—
Adam Digby,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
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Wednesday’s primetime debate between the leaders of the five main political parties in the Great North has changed its start time to avoid clashing with a hockey game that could lurch the Montreal Canadiens into this year’s NHL playoffs.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
15 Apr. 2025
Verb
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If trade negotiations falter, these tariffs could take effect, potentially igniting a trade war and unsettling global markets.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
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But after a flagrant foul by Clark against Reese on Saturday, all the prior talk from each athlete about a lack of a rivalry seemed to falter.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
28 May 2025
Verb
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Dina Tomczak, the school’s athletic director, tottered into her office having barely slept.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
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The nation is tottering on the edge of dictatorship.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Those that hesitate to modernize risk becoming less competitive in today’s fast-moving market.—
John Bruno,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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As Mars slips into your 12th house on June 17, your energy turns inward, so don’t hesitate to take a step back to rest, recharge and take a break from the social scene.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
1 June 2025
Verb
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Stone cut and wove plastic mats, industrial carpeting, and everyday fabrics into strange yet hypnotic composites for the floors and walls.—
Hannah Martin,
Architectural Digest,
6 June 2025
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In weaving together these stories, Cuffy explores the varying shapes that grief, belief, and belonging can take.—Erin McMullen Buy Now: O Sinners!—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
6 June 2025
Verb
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On a remote island in northern Norway, metal detectorists stumbled upon a pair of bronze treasures.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2025
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While sorting through storage in their Rhode Island studio to prep those reissues, Ivy stumbled upon a treasure trove of reel-to-reel tapes and old hard drives with unused material.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
4 June 2025
Verb
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Jalen Brunson and company came up big in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden, rolling to a 111-94 win to keep their season alive.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 May 2025
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Another one of those events where there was no holding back was the girls’ 300 hurdles where Jasir Fontenot’s sister, Anisa Bowen-Fontenot, rolled to the fastest time of the day—13.22.—
Steve Brand,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2025
Verb
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The team then trained three seals–Nick, Luca, and Miro–to shuffle into place in front of a large screen and showed them the simulations.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
29 May 2025
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When one of the figures is placed at the top of a ramp, the force of gravity causes the toy to walk down to the bottom by shuffling its legs back and forth.—
Ben Coxworth,
New Atlas,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stagger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stagger. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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