as in overwhelmed
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Dissimilar Words
1
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
2
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
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Recent Examples of staggered
Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
In September, the council also approved raises for Denver police officers, who will receive staggered pay bumps, adding a cumulative 16% to their salaries over the next three years.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026
The Social Security Administration (SSA) distributes payments on a staggered schedule throughout each month rather than sending them all at once.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
The staggered timing reflects banking practices, rather than differences in payroll.
—Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
The group assembles in a staggered formation and uses hand signals to communicate road hazards and turns.
—Brenda Miranda, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026
At the peak of their global dominance, the group’s members began mandatory military service in South Korea, rolling out solo projects on a staggered schedule.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 21 Mar. 2026
The force includes contingents from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Oklahoma, with units rotating in and out of the District on staggered timelines.
—Steven Beynon, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
Richardson created a staggered evergreen screen of Arborvitae, hydrangea, Karl Foerster grass, and flowering accent trees.
—Megan Johnson, Architectural Digest, 12 Mar. 2026
James Pearce, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Together the strangers slung Haridasse's arms over their shoulders and staggered to the finish line as a trio.
—Scott Simon, NPR, 25 Apr. 2026
Murray and Johnson staggered with the bench unit.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 18 Apr. 2026
This is when your tiles are laid both horizontally and staggered.
—Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 18 Apr. 2026
The prospect of talks appeared to bolster the tentative ceasefire in the Iran war that has staggered under the weight of Israel’s bombardment of Beirut, Tehran’s continued chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and uncertainty over whether talks can find common ground.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Knueppel staggered, but didn’t fall.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
Board members’ terms are staggered so that all seven seats are not up for renewal in the same year.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2026
From Ventura to Santa Barbara, gulls, pelicans, murres, and grebes staggered along beaches, unable to fly.
—Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
The board will include two members from each existing school board and three at-large members from anywhere in the county, and elections for the new board won’t begin until 2030, with full staggered terms not in place until 2032.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
In September, the council also approved raises for Denver police officers, who will receive staggered pay bumps, adding a cumulative 16% to their salaries over the next three years.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026
The Social Security Administration (SSA) distributes payments on a staggered schedule throughout each month rather than sending them all at once.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
The staggered timing reflects banking practices, rather than differences in payroll.
—Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
The group assembles in a staggered formation and uses hand signals to communicate road hazards and turns.
—Brenda Miranda, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026
At the peak of their global dominance, the group’s members began mandatory military service in South Korea, rolling out solo projects on a staggered schedule.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 21 Mar. 2026
The force includes contingents from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Oklahoma, with units rotating in and out of the District on staggered timelines.
—Steven Beynon, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
Richardson created a staggered evergreen screen of Arborvitae, hydrangea, Karl Foerster grass, and flowering accent trees.
—Megan Johnson, Architectural Digest, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
The transition has to be staggered.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Together the strangers slung Haridasse's arms over their shoulders and staggered to the finish line as a trio.
—Scott Simon, NPR, 25 Apr. 2026
Murray and Johnson staggered with the bench unit.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 18 Apr. 2026
This is when your tiles are laid both horizontally and staggered.
—Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 18 Apr. 2026
The prospect of talks appeared to bolster the tentative ceasefire in the Iran war that has staggered under the weight of Israel’s bombardment of Beirut, Tehran’s continued chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and uncertainty over whether talks can find common ground.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Knueppel staggered, but didn’t fall.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
Board members’ terms are staggered so that all seven seats are not up for renewal in the same year.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2026
From Ventura to Santa Barbara, gulls, pelicans, murres, and grebes staggered along beaches, unable to fly.
—Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for staggered
Adjective
-
Dallas’ power play looks borderline unstoppable, and Minnesota’s penalty kill looks overwhelmed.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The program skips the majority of the zoo’s vast collection of species to focus a few habitats so the participants don't get too tired or overwhelmed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Wembanyama lurched forward, toppled and slammed the right side of his face on the floor.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
-
When robots lurched, slipped, and occasionally froze mid-stride at the 2026 Beijing half-marathon on April 19, the internet quickly turned the spectacle into a meme.—
Ni Tao,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As of last month, that number was about 3 million as employees hesitated to quit at a time when job searches can drag on for months.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Dean Kim, master baker and founder of OC Baking Company, said that Schwarz was the kind of chef who never hesitated to show up for others.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Garcia says, acting out the usual blush of so many bewildered men.—
Darío Gael Blanco,
Vanity Fair,
25 Apr. 2026
-
My mother looked bewildered and even Father looked up.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Sheehan responded by turning in his best performance of the season, but the bullpen faltered in the Dodgers’ 6-4 loss to the red-hot Cubs, who won their 10th in a row.—
Michael Huntley,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
-
And the pitching and defense had faltered in key situations.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
When James hit the tying three, the fans wearing the Rockets’ red T-shirts stood in stunned silence.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Instead, amid the loss of the iconic Goodall, stunned students pivoted to planting the first tree in her honor.—
Julianna Lozada,
Daily News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The midseason trade felt relatively marginal compared to league-wide blockbusters that shuffled James Harden, Darius Garland and Anthony Davis.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Growing up in a military family, Vogel shuffled between the East Coast and Europe every two to three years.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
An utterly delectable novel set in Beirut during and after the Lebanese Civil War, about a 72-year-old translator of Western novels into Arabic, an eccentric steeped in books who shares with us her capacious literary sensibility and often bemused vision.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Giddey gave a bemused nod, then a smile.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Staggered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staggered. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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