Definition of teeter
2
: seesaw
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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
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The city, which teetered on the edge of bankruptcy two years ago, will remain under Trenton’s control, with the state Department of Community Affairs continuing to sign off on local decisions involving the city’s budget and government operations.
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For example, California surprisingly, seems to have remained teetering on the edge.
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The New Orleans Pelicans seemingly can't win after rattling off four straight losses, and are teetering on missing the playoffs.
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Bright and full melodies pepper JHN's songs teetering the line between rapping and singing.
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The only sure thing is that MU is teetering on the edge.
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The company is no stranger to a slump, having teetered on the edge of bankruptcy in the early 2000s before the 13-year growth streak.
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The longleaf pine, with its tufts of needles, some 18 inches long, looks a little like the bearskin hat worn by the Queen’s Guard, stuck on a teetering rack.
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Inside the smoky, dimly lit space, women in tight mini-dresses and teetering heels stand by a stage where nine men play various instruments.
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
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For residents like Les Larson, the construction teeters from inconvenience to a potentially life-or-death situation, regardless of how much warning was provided.
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Teams were awarded points for every second the teeter totter swung toward their side.
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Vince teeters on the edge of so many emotions in this song, which is an incredible feat.
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The novel takes on the dimensions of a thriller in its action-packed final quarter, and Tamirat teeters between earned climax and excessive drama.
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As the rule is written, the government is supposed to cut off federal student aid to any program that fails twice in a three-year period or teeters on the line for failure for four consecutive years.
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Like a playground teeter-totter, when one was down, the other was up and ruled as the dominant political grouping until the other provided voters with a more attractive alternative.
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As the rule is written, the government is supposed to cut off federal student aid to any program that fails twice in a three-year period or teeters on the line for failure for four consecutive years.
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As the rule is written, the government is supposed to cut off federal student aid to any program that fails twice in a three-year period or teeters on the line for failure for four consecutive years.
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
Definition of teeter for English Language Learners
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: to move in an unsteady way back and forth or from side to side
TEETER Defined for Kids
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
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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
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