as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
when it's so clear that this is the right thing to do, there's no excuse for faltering
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in wobbly
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in hesitating
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
William Lloyd Garrison never once faltered in his demand that slavery be unconditionally abolished
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in trembling
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
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Recent Examples of faltering
Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
The Reds' season can be described as consistently inconsistent but playing well down the stretch and the New York Mets faltering has led to an opportunity to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2020.
—Jason Hoffman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Sep. 2025
And the media went along with her coverup, despite Biden’s obvious faltering.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 7 Aug. 2025
Sarah Owermohle, CNN Money, 5 Jan. 2026
California’s growth in jobs and economic activity is faltering because Sacramento politicians have been driving away businesses, families, and wealth for years.
—Wayne Winegarden, Oc Register, 4 Jan. 2026
Stewart is among the many critics of Tapper’s involvement, as the CNN host previously defended Biden’s fitness while criticizing concerns that the former president was faltering.
—Asher Notheis, The Washington Examiner, 25 Dec. 2025
The bombing killed Iran’s already faltering agreement to not develop enriched uranium for nuclear weapons, and such efforts are already showing signs of renewal.
—The Editors, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
Cooperation among democracies, meanwhile, is faltering.
—Nic Cheeseman, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Regathering after halftime, the Nordic wave put away the faltering Timbers.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2025
There is also some evidence that hotel chains are faltering.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2025
The defense is faltering, the offensive line is a mess, and no one knows what McCarthy is going to do.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2025
Jim Edwards, Fortune, 9 Dec. 2025
Efforts to advance a US peace plan for Gaza appear to be faltering over reconstruction and security challenges.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 11 Nov. 2025
That reinforced the idea that inflation concerns should take a backseat to worries about faltering job growth.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 29 Oct. 2025
After faltering in the semifinals of the 2024 WNBA playoffs, Wilson and the Aces capped off a dominant postseason run Friday by sweeping the Phoenix Mercury with a 97-86 win.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 11 Oct. 2025
History will probably remember this Ravens team for faltering because of injuries, namely to their starting quarterback.
—Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
The Lions moved to 2-1, while the Ravens are now 1-2 after faltering late in this game.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2025
China's housing downturn has stretched into a fourth year, with prices, sales, investment and construction activity faltering across the board.
—Anniek Bao,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2025
Because real power isn’t about never faltering.
—Yann Dang, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
Many in town say the struggle to transform Scotia mirrors a larger struggle in Humboldt County, which has been rocked, first by the faltering of its logging industry and more recently by the collapse of its cannabis economy.
—Adjective
At the same time, public information about vaccination rates is faltering.
—Verb
The other half sees an economy on the verge of faltering, with rising unemployment, that needs easier money to avoid recession.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for faltering
Noun
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In his view, hesitation invites escalation.—
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Despite some analyst hesitation that the popular running brands may be losing some of their steam in the market, both labels posted stellar earnings in their most recent quarterly reports.—
Adjective
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Do not forget that the local job market was wobbly in 2025.—
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The Rockies have taken their first step toward shoring up their wobbly rotation by adding veteran right-hander Michael Lorenzen.—
Verb
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Despite unified denouncements of antisemitism, Fetterman criticized colleagues for hesitating to fully confront anti-Israel hostility.—
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After a 5% rebound rally, the benchmark is hesitating a bit around 6850, comfortably near the upper end of a two-month range but perhaps marking some time to gather itself ahead of next week's Fed meeting.—
Noun
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Federal lawmakers are trying to avoid another closure that would lead to furloughs of thousands of federal workers and a pause in some government operations.—
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Disneyland will restart its 70th anniversary celebration with a new menu lineup designed to tempt foodies and keep them coming back for more after pressing pause on the yearlong party during the Halloween and Christmas seasons.—
Adjective
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At the moment, its age is still uncertain.—
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How Barton will advance his campaigns now is uncertain.—
Verb
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Picture a wobbling human jenga tower.—
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After years of brisk growth, the Texas economy began wobbling in 2025, as tariffs, rising macroeconomic uncertainty and reduced immigration all began to take a toll on the jobs market.—
Noun
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Big money’s hesitancy Wall Street hasn’t jumped on board with the same fervor as the average Joe.—
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Their efforts were met with hesitancy from some families — installing sensors required Ayala to enter homes for installation, and some families had privacy concerns around providing data to the sensors.—
Adjective
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Ballard said his clients in the country at the time were unsure of what to do in the immediate aftermath of Maduro's capture.—
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Maduro’s supporters gathered throughout the city, many bearing arms, but seemed unsure of what to do next.—
Cite this Entry
“Faltering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faltering. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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