falter
verb
fal·ter
| \ ËfÈŻl-tÉr
\
\
faltered;
faltering\ ËfÈŻl-t(É-)riĆ
\
\
Definition of falter
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: to walk unsteadily : stumble
the ⊠stranger falters out of the thicket and drops to his knees— Dudley Fitts
b
: to give way : totter
could feel my legs faltering
c
: to move waveringly or hesitatingly
forced to bail out of faltering airplanes over the Alps — Nat'l Geographic
2
: to speak brokenly or weakly : stammer
her voice faltered
3a
: to hesitate in purpose or action : waver
he never faltered in his determination
b
: to lose drive or effectiveness
the business was faltering
: to utter hesitatingly or brokenly
faltered an excuse
falter
nounDefinition of falter (Entry 2 of 2)
: an act or instance of faltering
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Other Words from falter
Verb
falterer
\ ËfÈŻl-tÉr-Ér
\
noun
\
noun
falteringly
\ ËfÈŻl-t(É-)riĆ-lÄ
\
adverb
\
adverb
Synonyms & Antonyms for falter
Synonyms: Verb
balance, dither, halt, hang back, hesitate, scruple, shilly-shally, stagger, teeter, vacillate, waver, wobble (also wabble)
Antonyms: Verb
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Examples of falter in a Sentence
Verb
The business was faltering due to poor management. Their initial optimism has faltered. signs that the economy is faltering Her steps began to falter.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Financial markets are flashing warning signs as global economic growth falters and the U.S.-China trade war continues to fester. — Rachel Layne, CBS News, "Recession fears are back -- should you be worried?," 16 Aug. 2019 If some begin to falter, that could affect the global economy and hinder things in the U.S. — Erik Sherman, Fortune, "Why the Fed Cut Interest Ratesâand What to Watch for Next," 31 July 2019 Skills such as concept formation, abstraction and mental agility begin to falter, as does response inhibition, defined as the ability to inhibit an automatic response in favor of producing a novel one. — Robert Zaretsky, Twin Cities, "Robert Zaretsky: We need a mandatory retirement age for us professors," 18 July 2019 After mining began to falter in the 1930s, the train transitioned into a full-time tourist attraction, Smith said. — Sam Tabachnik, The Denver Post, "Durango residents divided as beloved coal-fired train faces lawsuits over its role in the 416 fire," 7 July 2019 The body's natural cooling methods, like sweating, begin to falter once the body's core temperature reaches around 104 degrees. — Vandana Ravikumar, USA TODAY, "'It is a tragedy': Kansas baby dies after being left for hour inside hot car," 11 June 2019 Soon their voices began to falter, the fast talk began to fade. — Thrity Umrigar, WSJ, "Five Best: Thrity Umrigar," 16 Aug. 2018 While the player would need to agree a huge reduction in wages for any deal to go through, the player could be encouraged to having seen his career begin to falter in the French capital. — SI.com, "West Ham 'Agree Fee' for Top Class Midfielder But Face Stumbling Block Before Completing Deal," 3 June 2018 Several of Trumpâs other proposals to lower drug prices have faltered recently, including efforts to force drug companies to list their prices on TV ads. — Katie Thomas, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump administration proposes allowing drug imports for cheaper prescriptions," 31 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
If the service falters or show serious signs of weakness, its competitors are going to be eager to pounce -- and make any PR problems associated with that worse. — Brian Lowry, CNN, "Netflix could face trouble ahead. Here's why," 20 Aug. 2019 China's current economic slowdownâsparked, in part, by its ongoing trade war with the United Statesâis one reason for Baidu's falter. — Fortune, "Baidu Loses, Then Regains, Its Spot in Chinaâs 5 Most Valuable Internet Companies," 16 Aug. 2019 If the former vice president falters, or if his campaign continues to resemble a never-ending apology tour, donors are investing in contingency candidates, and right now that means Buttigieg and Harris. — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, "What Does Big Tech Want From Buttigieg?," 9 July 2019 Bostonâs lead was erased in the seventh with a disastrous nine-run inning that saw the Yankees send 14 guys to the plate and three Red Sox relievers falter, from Marcus Walden to Matt Barnes to Josh Taylor. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "Red Sox traveled long way to learn theyâre far from being threat to Yankees," 30 June 2019 And demand for social services will increase when the economy falters, which is precisely the time when the stateâs tax collections fall. — The Economist, "WelfareCalifornia and Texas are both failing their neediest citizens," 22 June 2019 Why, then, does the pulse of the narrative falter in the second half? — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, "Gus Van Santâs Semi-Surreal âDonât Worry, He Wonât Get Far on Footâ," 13 July 2018 The Broncos are left without a prized rookie QB to take over if Case Keenum falters, but the team around Keenum has been improved. — Mark Maske, chicagotribune.com, "AFC draft grades: The Broncos are alone at the top followed by a lot of pass/fails," 30 Apr. 2018 Sinclair anticipates that improved blood flow could be important in helping not just aging tissues and organs, but speeding healing of wounds, particularly for people with diabetes who often lose fingers and toes as their circulation falters. — Alice Park, Time, "This Compound Can Reverse Aging in Mice. Will It Work in People?," 22 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'falter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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