teeter

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verb tee·ter \ˈtē-tər\

Definition of teeter

intransitive verb
1a : to move unsteadily : wobbleb : waver, vacillate teetered on the brink of bankruptcy
2 : seesaw

See teeter defined for English-language learners

See teeter defined for kids

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.

Origin and Etymology of teeter

Middle English titeren to totter, reel; akin to Old High German zittarōn to shiver

NEW!

First Known Use: 1844

See Words from the same year

teeter

noun tee·ter

Definition of teeter

: seesaw 2b

Recent Examples of teeter from the Web

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.

— brooke bobb, Vogue, "Why Russell Westbrook is the MVP of Men’s Fashion", 27 June 2017
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.

— bill livingston, cleveland.com, "NBA Finals loss not the end of Cleveland Cavaliers' era as a contender: Bill Livingston", 13 June 2017
Piles of paper teeter beside his elbows, while packs of bottled water are stacked next to the filing cabinets.

— weston williams, The Christian Science Monitor, "The place in America where (almost) no one drinks their tap water", 18 May 2017
But my view of teeter-totters isn't the only thing my month at Xtreme Ninja Warrior altered forever.

— zachary lewis, cleveland.com, "'American Ninja Warrior' month concludes with endorsement of obstacle training: Stretching Out (video)", 11 May 2017
May’s strong and stable leadership teeters on the verge of the Brexit negotiations, which are a gaping abyss of the unknown.

— vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, "Theresa May’s Big Dinner Party Was a Total Disaster", 2 May 2017
May’s strong and stable leadership teeters on the verge of the Brexit negotiations, which are a gaping abyss of the unknown.

— isobel thompson, The Hive, "Theresa May’s Big Dinner Party Was a Total Disaster", 2 May 2017
Yet even as the nation teeters on the brink of civil war and famine, a cadre of brave archivists, curators, and folklorists are working to preserve and protect the culture and history of South Sudan.

— dominic nahr, National Geographic, "Can Archivists Save the World’s Newest Nation?", 3 Nov. 2016
As the race between Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump teeters on a razor’s edge in Florida, their campaigns are scuffling over business that Mr. Trump may have conducted in Cuba while American companies were barred from operating there.

— jeremy w. peters, New York Times, "Report That Donald Trump Did Business in Cuba Ups the Ante in Florida", 1 Oct. 2016

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

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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