teeters; teetered; teetering
: to move in an unsteady way back and forth or from side to side
The pile of books teetered and fell to the floor.
She teetered down the street in her high heels.
—often used figurativelyOur relationship teeters between friendship and romance.
The bird is teetering on the edge of extinction. [=the bird is almost extinct]
The countries are teetering on the brink of war. [=the countries are close to going to war]
Cite this Entry
“Teeter.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/teeter. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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