teeter

verb

ˈtē-tər How to pronounce teeter (audio)
Definition of teeternext
1
as in to falter
to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side he nervously teetered at the edge of the pool before finally diving in

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2
as in to stagger
to move forward while swaying from side to side the toddler teetered down the rink in her new ice skates

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to hesitate
to show uncertainty about the right course of action was teetering on the brink of making a decision about college

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of teeter The Giants are tied for the best record in the NFC East with the teetering Philadelphia Eagles (2-1). — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026 The Montgomery hospital had teetered on the edge of closure this summer before the agreement to keep it operating. — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 16 Sep. 2026 Scott’s face, in this shot, is a whole novel, disintegrating into tears before being shored up again, eventually rearranged into something resembling a welcoming smile that teeters on the edge of collapse. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026 This is the man who wants to ensure the survival of human civilization while our own planet teeters toward the abyss? — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for teeter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teeter
  1. falter
  2. stagger
  3. hesitate
  4. wobble
  5. lurch
  6. vacillate
  7. tremble
  8. totter
Verb
  • This week a deal for Volta Infrastructure faltered as investors feeling full-up on data center debt demanded higher yields.
    — Ellen DiMauro, semafor.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Even where efforts to build democratic institutions have faltered, as after the Arab Spring, liberal ideas have nonetheless persisted and expanded.
    — Mansoor Moaddel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of falter
Verb
  • The decision to set that tone staggering through all 10 minutes of the extended cut might scan as raw inspiration, placing Spacemen 3 on a narrow band from La Monte Young and Terry Riley to some brilliant dro)))ne future.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The vice mayor and commissioners already serve four-year terms, though their terms are staggered.
    — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of stagger
Verb
  • While its lawyers have not hesitated to send cease-and-desist letters to AI companies, Disney is among the big media companies looking for ways to get in the AI game and profit from its boom.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Please have a plan in place should flash flooding develop and do not hesitate to act.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of hesitate
Verb
  • Between increasing costs and construction challenges from the BRT project, some small, longtime businesses have wobbled and closed.
    — John Wenzel, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2026
  • In addition to rewards for moving at the right speed and in the right direction and penalties for things like wobbling or jerky movement, the team introduced a novel way to keep the hand in a crawling stance during the simulated training.
    — Edd Gent, IEEE Spectrum, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of wobble
Verb
  • Sometimes the wagon will lurch forward on that initial pull before settling into your walking rhythm.
    — Thomas Ricker, The Verge, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The alternative is a region that lurches from crisis to crisis, and from one extreme to another.
    — DAN RESTREPO, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of lurch
Verb
  • The strength came as oil prices continued to vacillate because of uncertainty about when the war with Iran will allow the global energy industry to return to normal.
    — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • OpenAI has vacillated between wanting to be the big consumer company and knowing that the revenue is in enterprise.
    — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of vacillate
Verb
  • But now, the occupation seems to tremble before Palestinian children holding paper and string.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Those afflicted would tremble and jerk around, lose the ability to stand or swallow, and, after many months of slow suffering, die.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of tremble
Verb
  • Like a lot of us who tottered into consciousness in the second half of the 20th century, Les Claypool grew up with cartoons from the family television beaming into his retinas.
    — Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Outside, a gull tottered to the window and tapped its beak against the glass.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
Definition of totter

Browse Nearby Words

tees off
teeter
teetered
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Cite this Entry

“Teeter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teeter. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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