Definition of teeter
intransitive verb
2
:seesaw
-
Trending Now:
More Trending:
- dotage, dotard otherwise federalism bodega carceral
- ALL
What's Trending Now
More Trending Words
People Are Reading
Examples of teeter in a Sentence
The pile of books teetered and fell to the floor.
She teetered down the street in her high heels.
Recent Examples of teeter from the Web
-
When Iraq teetered on the brink of collapse, George W. Bush rejected immense political pressure to withdraw and instead doubled down with a potent troop surge that for a time decisively tipped the balance of power against al-Qaeda.
-
Markets are teetering as Trump threatens war on North Korea.
-
A teammate was teetering on the brink of turning to the streets.
-
And each look somehow manages to teeter on the colorful intersection of wearable and totally out there.
-
RKO was weeks away from collapse, and even Paramount teetered on the verge of bankruptcy.
-
His brief tenure has been shot through with turmoil, his legislative agenda is teetering on the cusp of collapse, and Robert Mueller’s special-counsel investigation is an ever-present source of frustration.
-
But this is splendor, to eat such a thing off a tin platter, at a teetering table on a Brooklyn sidewalk in high summer.
-
Now a rebuilding process was teetering on the brink.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'teeter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of teeter
Middle English titeren to totter, reel; akin to Old High German zittarōn to shiver
Recent Examples of teeter from the Web
-
Passengers will ascend a 150-foot vertical lift, teeter over the top, and hang for a few seconds before diving at 57 mph into a 96-degree drop.
-
A city that is booming yet teeters on the brink of environmental disaster.
-
Revered by the others, Mr. Green lays down the cleanest, clearest rhythms even as his large body teeters and lumbers.
-
Sometimes his attire teeters on the edge of attention seeking—splatter print Canadian tuxedos, thick red eyeglasses, and Rick Owens-esque tight leather tank tops come to mind.
-
The Bay Area's basketball giants Everyone knows this season's Finals loss, the second in the trilogy of Cavs-Warriors showdowns, was a result of the balance of power teeter-totter getting all out of kilter.
-
There are berms, embedded rocks, ramps, teeter totters and other special features.
-
There were swings, a big yard, climbing bars and a teeter totter.
-
Piles of paper teeter beside his elbows, while packs of bottled water are stacked next to the filing cabinets.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'teeter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of teeter
1860
TEETER Defined for English Language Learners
teeter
play
verb
Definition of teeter for English Language Learners
-
: to move in an unsteady way back and forth or from side to side
TEETER Defined for Kids
teeter
play
verb
tee·ter
\
ˈtē-tər
\
Definition of teeter for Students
teetered;
teetering
:to move unsteadily back and forth or from side to side
- Ramona mounted the bicycle and … teetered and wobbled to the corner without falling off.
- —Beverly Cleary, Ramona Quimby
Learn More about teeter
-
See words that rhyme with teeter Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for teeter Spanish Central: Translation of teeter Nglish: Translation of teeter for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of teeter for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up teeter? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!