toddling

verb

present participle of toddle
as in stumbling

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for toddling
  1. stumbling
  2. tottering
  3. floundering
  4. lurching
  5. shaking
  6. rocking
  7. wavering
  8. faltering
Verb
  • Unlike other festivals, where audiences can be more forgiving, stumbling out of the gate at Venice can prove impossible for a contender to recover from.
    — Nate Jones, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Analysis from Zeki Data shows that where OpenAI and Anthropic are making gains in the AI talent market, Google DeepMind (and to some extent Meta) are stumbling.
    — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of stumbling
Verb
  • In an accompanying cartoon, Spark is caricatured as a sulking giant, tottering above the Tuscan countryside in a pair of high heels.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 June 2026
  • Among them a City boy wearing three Fit-Bit-type devices, two beautiful Middle Eastern sisters, an outrageously pompous elderly American (sorry; eavesdropping), and several Imelda Marcos lookalikes, tottering out of the treatment rooms with, somehow, their elaborate hairstyles still intact.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Definition of tottering
Verb
  • That one is flourishing and another is floundering represents the most frustrating part of this process.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Yet some in the party say there is no upside for candidates in close races to leave the campaign for an event in another state with a president floundering in polls ‒ and there are questions about who will attend.
    — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of floundering
Verb
  • The United States, which had been lurching toward entry in the Second World War, was suddenly and inescapably thrust into global conflict.
    — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Republicans see Democrats lurching to the left and embracing socialism as an opening to link their opponents to the far more radical communism.
    — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of lurching
Verb
  • That afternoon, the president, inside the exposition’s ornate Temple of Music, greeted members of the public, shaking hands and warmly inviting them to explore the fair.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The handcuffs were taken off, and he was allowed to board, shaking with shock.
    — Shimon Prokupecz, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of shaking
Verb
  • Additional photos from the trip show Lohan rocking a white tulle minidress with spaghetti straps and a subtle polka-dot pattern.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Heidi Klum is now rocking bare nails and showing how the trend works for long nails.
    — Paula Oelbaum, Glamour, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of rocking
Verb
  • Emerging markets such as India, which entered the top 20 markets two years ago and now ranks 15th for Swiss watch exports by size, and Mexico are also contributing to a lessening of the dependency on wavering top markets, in particular China.
    — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Allies left vulnerable Elsewhere, American allies are reeling from the realization that the United States’ unambiguous commitment to protecting them might be wavering.
    — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of wavering
Verb
  • Know More Saudi Arabia has been working on several measures in a bid to boost trading volumes on the stock exchange and reenergize new stock listings that had been faltering even before the Iran war spooked investors.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The same list of conditions is relevant to the debates about our faltering literacy.
    — Christopher Coffman, The Conversation, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of faltering
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

toddles
toddling
to death
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Cite this Entry

“Toddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toddling. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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