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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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Recent Examples of teeter
Moreover, some prominent Wall Street voices think the month could feature some catch-up for a labor market that was teetering at this time last year, with risks to the downside for the headline number.
—
Jeff Cox, CNBC, 4 June 2026
West Contra Costa Unified, the second largest of its 18 districts, is teetering.
—Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, Mercury News, 1 June 2026
The economics are so unprecedented that Anthropic — which raised another $65 billion at a $965 valuation — seems to be teetering on the brink of either growing too fast, or too slowly.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 29 May 2026
There's an undeniable allure to the pale yellow shade, a saccharine hue that teeters the line on both mellow and bright.
—Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for teeter
Jeff Cox, CNBC, 4 June 2026
West Contra Costa Unified, the second largest of its 18 districts, is teetering.
—Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, Mercury News, 1 June 2026
The economics are so unprecedented that Anthropic — which raised another $65 billion at a $965 valuation — seems to be teetering on the brink of either growing too fast, or too slowly.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 29 May 2026
There's an undeniable allure to the pale yellow shade, a saccharine hue that teeters the line on both mellow and bright.
—Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for teeter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teeter
Verb
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Enjoy the Games Fortunately, Serrian said, the human mind is pretty good at picking up where less-than-perfect TVs falter.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
12 June 2026
-
Had the 747 project faltered, Boeing would likely have gone down with it.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
Verb
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To stagger the terms, governors in those three branches were elected this year to one-, two- or three-year terms, with the process reverting to the standard one-governor-per-branch, three-year cycle in 2027.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
15 June 2026
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Offer flexible or part-time schedules or stagger the return to work.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
When asked which member of the family is the best soccer player, Theo didn't hesitate.—
Wakisha Bailey,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
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When an agreement offers nothing to the Iranian people, why would the regime hesitate to intensify its crackdown?—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
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If costs wobble, choose sturdy materials and skip extras, because reliability brings lasting ease that nourishes home life.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
15 June 2026
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Yet the definition of what belongs in a stein or wine glass is starting to wobble.—
David Dickstein,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Verb
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As the carriage lurched forward, the teen’s mother fell from the vehicle, prompting Romanch Mahajan to jump out in an effort to help her, The Times reported.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
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As the opening ceremony began with a flurry of speeches, the bus carrying Team Zambia lurched to a stop by the side of the road in southern Zimbabwe, 200 miles away.—
Ryan Lenora Brown,
NPR,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
In general, game-to-game data vacillates pretty wildly.—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
-
And Dylan vacillates in that same way.—
Stuart Miller,
Oc Register,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Each time the leaves trembled, the sunlight filtering through them also wavered.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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Logic, curated by decades of precedent, suggested the 22-year-old might tremble at the growl of the aggressive, experienced Wolves.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Verb
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In an accompanying cartoon, Spark is caricatured as a sulking giant, tottering above the Tuscan countryside in a pair of high heels.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
-
Among them a City boy wearing three Fit-Bit-type devices, two beautiful Middle Eastern sisters, an outrageously pompous elderly American (sorry; eavesdropping), and several Imelda Marcos lookalikes, tottering out of the treatment rooms with, somehow, their elaborate hairstyles still intact.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Teeter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teeter. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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