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tambalear

to stagger

verb tahm-bah-leh-AHR Rare
Body & Health Movement

Also means

to wobble

Usage Note

Tambalear is most commonly used as the reflexive tambalearse — el gobierno se tambalea (the government is tottering) — which adds the nuance of something close to collapse. The non-reflexive form tambalear is possible but rarer. It applies equally to physical unsteadiness and metaphorical instability.

Examples

"El borracho se tambaleaba por la calle."

Natural Translation

The drunk man was staggering along the street.

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