seesaw

1 of 2

noun

see·​saw ˈsē-ˌsȯ How to pronounce seesaw (audio)
1
: an alternating up-and-down or backward-and-forward motion or movement
also : a contest or struggle in which now one side now the other has the lead
2
a
: a pastime 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 or apparatus so used
seesaw adjective

seesaw

2 of 2

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

Examples of seesaw in a Sentence

Noun Their relationship was an emotional seesaw. Verb 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
Noun
So Antonia sends me up and down the A-frame, through the tunnel, over the seesaw, and then through the tire to the finish line. Maura Judkis, Washington Post, 9 May 2023 Perched on a narrow rib of the Continental Divide, the Clock is a large slab of granite—approximately nine by eleven feet—balanced on a stone fulcrum like a seesaw. Tarn Udall, Outside Online, 4 Apr. 2023 The actor later posted an Instagram story inside the circus where a seesaw act took center stage. Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 11 July 2023 Those things mostly had specific, limited uses: a seesaw, a slide, a swing. Caitlin Gibson, Washington Post, 30 June 2023 The new sensory equipment, seesaw, and structures to ride and climb were all selected by the Dillons with Junie in mind. Cindy Cantrell, BostonGlobe.com, 12 May 2023 Talia loves the bigger swings and extra-large seesaws, which tend to be easier [to manage] for kids with disabilities. Mike Klingaman, Baltimore Sun, 13 Apr. 2023 The All-Star game switched formats recently but is still mostly an overly friendly, rhythmic seesaw of the best basketball players in the world lightly jogging back and forth up the court. Katie Heindl, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2023 In one mural, two children use a metal tank trap as a seesaw. Ella Feldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2022
Verb
Although international summits are often tightly scripted, this one in Vilnius has seesawed between conflict and compromise. Chris Megerian, Lorne Cook and Seung Min Kim, Anchorage Daily News, 12 July 2023 Although international summits are often tightly scripted, this one in Vilnius seesawed between conflict and compromise. Chris Megerian, ajc, 12 July 2023 Path to profitability Luckily for Coupang, the Fortune 500 doesn’t take into account seesawing stock prices. Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 5 June 2023 Even before Prigozhin’s mutiny, Russia’s seesawing fortunes in Ukraine had led to a growing mysticism among the army rank and file. Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan, Foreign Affairs, 6 July 2023 Frontlines seesawed from block to block for more than two weeks as Russian forces attempted to break through toward the capital. Anastacia Galouchka, Washington Post, 24 June 2023 That’s how the market seesaw shifts back into balance. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 23 June 2023 The ocean seesaws between these states every two to seven years, though the past three years unusually saw three back-to-back La Niñas. Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 21 June 2023 And so it's just been like seesawing ever since then. Joe Weisenthal, Bloomberg.com, 8 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'seesaw.' 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

Noun

probably from reduplication of saw entry 3

First Known Use

Noun

1704, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1709, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of seesaw was in 1704

Dictionary Entries Near seesaw

Cite this Entry

“Seesaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seesaw. Accessed 21 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

seesaw

1 of 2 noun
see·​saw ˈsē-ˌsȯ How to pronounce seesaw (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on seesaw

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