seesaw

verb

seesawed; seesawing; seesaws

intransitive verb

1

a

: to move backward and forward or up and down

b

: to play at seesaw

2

: alternate

seesaw between two activities

transitive verb

: to cause to move in seesaw fashion

Synonyms of seesaw

• sway
• rock
• lurch
• shake

Examples of seesaw in a Sentence

The lead seesawed between the two runners right up to the finish line.

as their boat seesawed in the rough water, the rescue team tried to get the passengers off the sinking ship

Recent Examples on the Web

In the midst of seesawing oil prices, reports suggest the project — slated for completion in late 2027 — is well ahead of schedule and already around 50% complete. —Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026

Oil prices and global stocks seesawed Monday as fighting in Iran kept the Strait of Hormuz closed, sending Brent crude above $112 a barrel before retreating on signs that a wider military strike might pause. —Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026

The clearest example of the two companies’ seesawing outlooks is in performance running. —Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 29 Apr. 2026

This includes soaring gas prices at the pump, seesawing stock markets, rising food and fertilizer prices, higher shipping-insurance costs, and fuel shortages that have touched off violence, work stoppages, and profiteering in parts of Asia and Africa. —Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1709, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Rhymes for seesaw

• aa
• aha
• bashaw
• bradshaw
• byelaw
• bylaw
• chainsaw
• cheraw
• coleslaw
• crenshaw
• dada
• esau

Kids Definition

seesaw

1 of 2 noun

see·​saw ˈsē-ˌsȯ 

1

a

: an up-and-down or backward-and-forward motion or movement

b

: a contest or struggle in which now one side now the other has the lead

2

a

: a game in which two children or groups of children ride on opposite ends of a plank balanced in the middle so that one end goes up as the other goes down

b

: the plank used in the game of seesaw

seesaw adjective

seesaw

2 of 2 verb

seesawed; seesawing

1

: to move like a seesaw

2

: to play on a seesaw