as in overwhelmed
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in lurched
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
2
as in hesitated
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
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Recent Examples of staggered
Guy Lodge, Variety, 8 Jan. 2026
The staggered schedule also hints at Apple experimenting with clearer separation between mainstream and high-end iPhones.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 1 Jan. 2026
Instead of the more typical block-type apartment buildings found throughout San Diego County, the building has setbacks and staggered edges on its exterior.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2025
The centers are opening on a staggered schedule.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 23 Dec. 2025
Each member would serve in staggered fixed terms.
—Caroline Beck, IndyStar, 18 Dec. 2025
Now, almost a decade later, the fifth and final season is making its staggered debut on Netflix.
—Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 13 Dec. 2025
The interior’s curved picture windows, balusters, and organic forms are mirrored outside in the ribbon-like planters of staggered height that both add dynamism to the terrace landscaping and also preserve privacy.
—Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 10 Dec. 2025
The agencies are run by bipartisan, multimember commissions that serve staggered terms.
—Justin Jouvenal The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 9 Dec. 2025
Tim Graham, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
The Packers staggered to the finish with a four-game losing streak but will have quarterback Jordan Love (concussion) back.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
When oil prices slid and mismanagement came due, the country staggered into hyperinflation, shortages, and mass migration, culminating in a full‑blown humanitarian crisis that outlived Chávez and deepened under his successor, Nicolás Maduro.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
Construction will be staggered to avoid too many simultaneous trail closures, officials said.
—Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
Typically, remains were exposed prior to cremation, and individual burials were staggered over time.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 21 Dec. 2025
Board members will generally serve four-year terms, but the inaugural board will include some two-year appointments so that terms are staggered.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 19 Dec. 2025
Our on/off relationship with Carrie Bradshaw finally staggered off its Peloton, though the image of Aidan jerking off in his truck left us feeling as tarnished as a White Lotus blender.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 18 Dec. 2025
In Mission Viejo, elections will start being staggered again and in Laguna Hills, the city is set to transition to by-district elections with voters choosing a councilmember from their geographic area, versus the at-large elections that have been traditionally held.
—Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 5 Dec. 2025
Adjective
The structure is a bit tricksier, flipping between the present — which finds our two inevitable lovers estranged and in their early thirties — and a staggered series of flashbacks catching up to it.
—Verb
The Bills had a pretty cushy road schedule this year, playing once outside the Eastern time zone, yet staggered around early.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for staggered
Adjective
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Experts across food, beverage, design, and lifestyle agree—guests want to feel transported, considered, and cared for without hosts feeling overwhelmed.—
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Hospitals in the region were quickly overwhelmed, prompting some burn victims to be transferred to facilities in neighboring countries, including France.—
Verb
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The relentless Chacon lurched outside after her just as his car door opened and out popped their 6-year-old son, begging his dad to stop.—
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New year optimism was certainly in short supply inside Anfield as the mood lurched from restlessness to exasperation and then anger.—
Verb
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The woman hesitated at first but then let Sylvain into her apartment.—
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Sanchez hesitated at first about the idea of being on camera, but his loyalty to Gutiérrez proved stronger than the reservations.—
Adjective
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Snook and Lacy, who display such sharp instincts in their best work, seem to have been directed to overact; cameras freeze on their exaggeratedly bewildered or angry or devastated expressions, putting exclamation points at the end of too many scenes.—
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Instead, a bewildered stranger answers the door.—
Verb
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Negotiations over the subsidies, a Biden-era benefit that lapsed at the end of 2025, have faltered once before and were at the center of a 43-day government shutdown last year, the longest on record.—
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The Chiefs were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs last month, as the once-dominant team led by Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes faltered in close games throughout the year.—
Adjective
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Farley, who looks stunned, examines it.—
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The woman shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis was a loving mother, a poet and a partner whose family – along with neighbors across her stunned city and strangers far beyond – is shocked by the circumstances surrounding her death.—
Verb
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Empty boxes were stacked along a side wall in the locker room as players shuffled in and out to pack up a season’s worth of shirts and jerseys and cleats and memorabilia.—
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First, the sophomore shuffled back into coverage after showing A-gap pressure to intercept a Bryce Underwood pass over the middle of the field, ending a key fourth-quarter drive.—
Adjective
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When the lights finally dimmed 45 minutes later, Safdie took the front of the theater after an affectionate introduction from Sacco, giving a somewhat bemused apology about the delay before diving into his remarks.—
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His facial expressions are often pained or bemused.—
Cite this Entry
“Staggered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staggered. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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