teeter

1 of 2

verb

tee·​ter ˈtē-tər 

teetered; teetering; teeters

intransitive verb

1

a

: to move unsteadily : wobble

b

: waver, vacillate

teetered on the brink of bankruptcy

2

: seesaw

teeter

2 of 2

noun

: seesaw sense 2b

Synonyms

Verb

• falter
• rock
• totter
• waver
• wobble
• wabble

Examples of teeter in a Sentence

Verb

The pile of books teetered and fell to the floor.

She teetered down the street in her high heels.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The Magic aren’t just tough and physical, but downright hostile without teetering over the edge. —The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025

What kept the film from teetering out of silliness into offensiveness was, unexpectedly, Ben Affleck’s performance as Christian Wolff, an autistic bookkeeper with a calculator for a brain and a downright mathematical proficiency with his fists and a rifle. —A.a. Dowd, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025

Noun

Tariffs and Inflation America’s economy teeters on a knife’s edge, rattled by tariffs and the specter of inflation. —Jack Kelly, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025

House Speaker Mike Johnson has urged lawmakers to be patient over President Donald Trump's tariffs as the S&P 500 teeters close to bear market territory. —Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

1844, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1860, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing teeter

• teeter-totter

Rhymes for teeter

• beater
• cheater
• dieter
• eater
• heater
• liter
• litre
• meter
• metre
• neater
• praetor
• seater

Kids Definition

teeter

verb

tee·​ter

ˈtēt-ər

1

a

: to move unsteadily

teetered on the edge and fell over the side

b

: waver sense 1

2

: seesaw entry 2 sense 2

teeter noun