stagger
verb (used without object)
to walk, move, or stand unsteadily.
was staggering
-
past progressiveof stagger.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The local conditions became catastrophic and the rate of the fire's spread was staggering.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
At first it was staggering, the boom, boom, boom, watching both players crack heavy serve after heavy serve, but it started to become a little wearying, like watching an extended game of Whac-A-Mole.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
Last season, as Oklahoma football was staggering to only its second losing season in 25 years, school leaders understood that they needed more than a rebuilding year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025
At that time, YouTube’s boast that 15 hours of video were uploaded to the site every minute was staggering, along with the hundreds of millions of views it drew from around the world.
From Salon ● Feb. 18, 2025
Still, Maria’s main purpose in Surinam was recording insects, and the sheer number of them was staggering.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
