staggered

[ stag-erd ]

/ ˈstæg ərd /

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See synonyms for staggered on Thesaurus.com

adjective

arranged in a series of alternating or continually overlapping intervals of time: Board members serve staggered four-year terms, with new directors replacing outgoing ones each year.

arranged so as to alternate on either side of a center: A circular base approximately 2 meters in diameter is placed atop a couple of staggered layers of brick to allow for aeration from below.

scheduled or ordered in gradual stages; phased: Microsoft has confirmed that the new update will be a staggered release.

rendered helpless with astonishment; shocked: Shakespeare’s King Lear questions everything we know, posing to our staggered imaginations the possibility that the cosmos is immoral, even malevolent.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of stagger.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of staggered

stagger + -ed²

OTHER WORDS FROM staggered

un·stag·gered, adjective

Words nearby staggered

stagflation, Stagg, staggard, stagger, staggerbush, staggered, staggered directorships, staggered hours, stagger head, staggering, staggering bob

How to use staggered in a sentence

The play is double trouble, with George flying around a stagger screen and Leonard jostling for a snug position down on the left block.
If Kawhi Turns His Back To The Basket, Watch Out|Michael Pina|September 3, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
He had a drunken stagger and slurred speech, so putting two and two together, I figured security had eighty-sixed him.
The Accidental Attempted Murder|Eugene Robinson|September 2, 2020|Ozy
His success later in the afternoon has staggered a nation and sent two families reeling from heartache that never diminishes.
Any Outrage Out There for Ramos and Liu, Protesters?|Mike Barnicle|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Kitty staggered around the corner to the rear of her building, trying to make it home.
The Myth of the Central Park Five|Edward Conlon|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

I was not prepared for the staggered, ruthless falling apart of one of the people I love most in the world.
No One Ever Loses to Cancer|Dushka Zapata|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Edwards (who was governor for a total of sixteen, staggered years from 1972 to 1996) was long-dogged by charges of corruption.
Vote for the (Alleged) Crooks! How Rick Perry, Chris Christie, and Scott Walker are Running While Under Investigation|Olivia Nuzzi|August 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sid was the only one who laughed; staggered around, holding his gut.
Mel Brooks Is Always Funny and Often Wise in This 1975 Playboy Interview|Alex Belth|February 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He staggered along with much difficulty and managed to complete half of it by Christmas.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
The drunken Man staggered to his feet, and hiccupped vehemently in the face of the assembled Gods.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling
In this case, the holes in the tracker bar are made smaller than usual and they are staggered--or arranged in two rows.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
Black Hood fell back from the door, staggered by his first contact with that hissing gray hell.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
As she turned the corner, a lame child in a calico dress and torn hood staggered past her bent with the weight of a heavy basket.
Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline|Jennie M. Drinkwater