STAGGERED Synonyms: 107 Similar and Opposite Words

staggered 1 of 2

adjective

as in overwhelmed

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Dissimilar Words

staggered

2 of 2

verb

past tense of stagger

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

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

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.

Recent Examples of staggered

Adjective

Two years later, Haitians were supposed to return to the polls to elect another tier of the staggered chamber along with lawmakers in the 119-member Lower Chamber of Deputies. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026 Other nations, which do not, are elected by the General Assembly rotate in and out every two years on a staggered basis. — Mogomotsi Magome, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026 Wilson wears pendant necklaces at staggered lengths against a plunging red halter neckline, with a sheer red veil pulled across her face in several shots. — Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026 The $18 million Illinois Department of Natural Resources project will close trails and features in a staggered fashion, in order to minimize impact on visitors. — Taryn Shorr-McKee, Midwest Living, 20 Sep. 2026 Citi kept its Buy and called the Duo Apple's biggest new hardware category since the Apple Watch and AirPods, and Goldman was constructive on the view that the staggered launch and the $100 Pro increases should support average selling price growth. — Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026 Tickets are $50 for Mission Hills Heritage members, $60 for nonmembers, with staggered entry times; some time slots have sold out, so early purchase is advised. — The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2026 Their ceremony was spare, with only a few urns filled with dusty pink and peach roses, while dinner featured loads of thin white candles set in bronzed candelabra at staggered heights. — Kaitlin Menza, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026 Some buildings will close on a staggered two-year schedule as part of the Future Ready Facilities Plan. — Megan Shinn, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026

Verb

At the heart of the resort is an 82-foot jade-green pool with rooms and eating areas staggered across the snug plot. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 This year’s committee consists of 65 members who will serve staggered three-year terms. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026 But only weeks into his first season, as the Jets staggered to a 3-14 record, the team traded two of its best defensive players in cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 3 Oct. 2026 The Phillies staggered into the eighth at Dodger Stadium trailing 5-3. — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026 The screening times were staggered, allowing Pawlikowski to hurry from one place to the next and introduce his film. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026 The firm noted that the apps had staggered platform releases split between Apple and Google Play, which would impact their totals. — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026 Shortly afterward, the man who died staggered back into view of the camera and collapsed. — Ronald J. Hansen, AZCentral.com, 8 Sep. 2026 Shore excursions leave on time, dining reservations are staggered throughout the evening, and all-aboard times aren’t suggestions. — Jill Schildhouse, Southern Living, 29 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for staggered

Adjective

Teens might be fine but younger kids will be bored or overwhelmed.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Stadiums’ in-venue help numbers could be similarly overwhelmed.

— Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of overwhelmed

Verb

Teammates excitedly jumped off the bench, then hesitated when Thiero’s right knee appeared to buckle awkwardly under him.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Montgomery hesitated in front of Lee before cutting inside to leave Lee one-on-one with a defender streaking toward the end zone.

— PJ Green September 27, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of hesitated

Adjective

But Iñárritu’s caricatures become people in a way Kubrick’s don’t; as the bewildered President, for example, John Goodman is simultaneously grounded and theatrical in his presentation, recalling his best work with the Coen brothers.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2026
Five o’clock Saturday, the Riverside Stadium and Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg is fist-pumping a half-bewildered but fully enthused home crowd.

— Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of bewildered

Verb

In the midst of the rush to finish my syllabi and opening week assignments, as my husband shuffled the kids into their sneakers and Crocs and the car for one last back-to-school outing, everything stopped.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
There was the sound of the occasional slipper scraping across the carpet as players and coaches shuffled from the showers.

— Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of shuffled

Verb

Washington’s diplomatic efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine have faltered, with Moscow looking to up its defense spending next year.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
From 2019 to 2022, Solomon led an aggressive expansion of the bank’s consumer-lending business, which ultimately faltered and resulted in billions of pretax losses.

— Morgan Chittum, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of faltered

Adjective

As Bijan Robinson raced down the sideline and the rest of his Falcons teammates sprinted in pursuit, a mixture of an eerie hush and a stunned buzz fell over Caesars Superdome from a crowd still not entirely settled in its seats.

— Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 6 Oct. 2026
The record closed out the 13-song set, which ended in a staggering high note from Spiro and a standing ovation from a stunned ACL audience.

— Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of stunned

Verb

Anyone who could look Bob Dylan dead in the eyes as a 10-year-old and sing one of his most famous songs, as film cameras rolled, is no stranger to pressure.

— Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
South Carolina visited last week, and Alabama rolled to a 31-point victory.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of rolled

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stagger

staggered

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“Staggered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staggered. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of staggered

adjective

verb

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