Verb
The pile of books teetered and fell to the floor.
She teetered down the street in her high heels.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
In November 1983, the US, Soviet Union and the rest of the world were teetering closer than ever on the edge of nuclear war.—Scottie Andrew, CNN, 9 June 2024 No love lost between Renault and Volkswagen Talks between Renault and Volkswagen to build the car collapsed after weeks teetering on the precipice.—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune Europe, 31 May 2024
Noun
For Crystal and Charles, whose friendship teeters on the edge of something more, Nelson describes them as both lost in their own individual ways.—Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 May 2024 Amid the delay, thousands of Haitians have either lost their lives or been injured, and Haiti teeters on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe as millions of people are unable to find enough food to eat.—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 4 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for teeter
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'teeter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English titeren to totter, reel; akin to Old High German zittarōn to shiver
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