to falter
4
5.6
- verb
- /ˈfɔltər/
:
ceder
- And, well—" her voice faltered, her eyes searched Marianne's face, "—we're expected back home tonight."
Examples
-
As he climbed the steep hill, he began to falter and nearly lost his footing.
-
The missile seemed to falter for a moment, as if it had stalled in midair.
Fiction book (2001) -
And he was right; for a second, the beam seemed to falter, but it quickly caught back up with him.
Fiction book (1991) -
Start slow, fall behind by double digits, fight back into it, and falter down the stretch.
Blog text (13) -
Suddenly, the beam of light faltered and moved off from the snake.
Fiction book (1992) -
The fluorescent lights outside and inside begin to flicker and falter sporadically.
Fiction book (1993) -
Still, Bangladesh has managed strong, if faltering, economic growth amid the political jousting.
Blog text (26) -
By some miracle, Facebook never faltered, and the MMs were posting pictures, storm updates, and safety tips.
Blog text (2) -
In the glow of the faltering streetlights and the approaching dawn, she couldn't look more beautiful.
Fiction book (1995) -
Propped on the pillows, she gazed at me with lidded eyes and I faltered.
Fiction book (1999)
Synonyms
129
1.6
To trip or lose balance while walking and almost fall
49
4.0
Walk in an unsteady way as if about to fall
34
5.6
To move suddenly and unsteadily, often forward or to one side
16
4.6
To move in an unsteady way as if about to fall
12
4.8
To move or shake in a slight, unsteady way
11
4.8
To walk in an unsteady way as if about to fall
4
7.9
To walk awkwardly while dragging your feet
1
5.6
To lose balance and almost fall
To walk with small, unsteady steps
To walk in a wobbly way as if about to fall
Antonyms
How Unsteady
Surface Forms
Etymology
Falter gives the image of something about to fall, like a stack of books that starts to wobble. So, to falter is to move unsteadily or hesitate as if you might fall.