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Definition of "stagger" [stag•ger]

  • To move or stand unsteadily, as if under a great weight; totter. (verb-intransitive)
  • To begin to lose confidence or strength of purpose; waver. (verb-intransitive)
  • To cause to totter, sway, or reel: The blow staggered him. (verb-transitive)
  • To overwhelm with emotion or astonishment. (verb-transitive)
  • To cause to waver or lose confidence. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "stagger" in a sentence
  • "Nascar: What does the term stagger refer to on a race car?"
  • "-- The stagger is the distance the top surface is in advance of the bottom surface when the aeroplane is in flying position."
  • "MR. MCCURRY: It's going to be hard enough to get news organizations interested in these conventions to begin with, so we could kind of stagger the air traffic pattern a little bit -- that would be a welcome development."