falter

[fawl-ter] / ˈfɔl tər /

VERB

stumble, stutter

Synonyms

STRONGEST

flounder hesitate reel waver wobble

STRONG

bobble break fluctuate fluff halt lurch quaver rock roll scruple shake stagger stammer teeter topple totter tremble vacillate

WEAK

be undecided drop the ball hem and haw speak haltingly stub toe trip up whiffle

Antonyms

STRONG

calm hold remain stabilize stay steady

WEAK

continue endure maintain persist

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See also: Software stocks bounce as Nvidia shares falter.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 26, 2026

If breadth begins to falter here, the broader market may not be far behind.

From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026

That makes them appealing if you expect giant tech stocks—or the market as a whole—to falter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

The home support will be expecting three points - but if Forest falter the pressure on Dyche will intensify.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

Iorek didn’t falter, but they found it hard to hold on.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman