1
as in swaying
to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions
as their boat seesawed in the rough water, the rescue team tried to get the passengers off the sinking ship
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Recent Examples of seesawing
The clearest example of the two companies’ seesawing outlooks is in performance running.
—
Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 29 Apr. 2026
This includes soaring gas prices at the pump, seesawing stock markets, rising food and fertilizer prices, higher shipping-insurance costs, and fuel shortages that have touched off violence, work stoppages, and profiteering in parts of Asia and Africa.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026
Armchair investors have endured several stomach-churning days in March, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones averages seesawing in response to the Iran war, surging gas prices and inflation fears.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
The back-and-forth sent oil prices and stock markets seesawing.
—Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
The seesawing decisions by Jones Dickson came during a hearing Monday, when Tran’s trial was expected to get underway with his case being assigned a trial judge.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
Jim Cramer warns investors to stay the path and avoid seesawing between the wrong narratives about the Federal Reserve needing to lower interest rates to avoid a recession.
—Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 29 Apr. 2026
This includes soaring gas prices at the pump, seesawing stock markets, rising food and fertilizer prices, higher shipping-insurance costs, and fuel shortages that have touched off violence, work stoppages, and profiteering in parts of Asia and Africa.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026
Armchair investors have endured several stomach-churning days in March, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones averages seesawing in response to the Iran war, surging gas prices and inflation fears.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
The back-and-forth sent oil prices and stock markets seesawing.
—Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
The seesawing decisions by Jones Dickson came during a hearing Monday, when Tran’s trial was expected to get underway with his case being assigned a trial judge.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
Jim Cramer warns investors to stay the path and avoid seesawing between the wrong narratives about the Federal Reserve needing to lower interest rates to avoid a recession.
—Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for seesawing
Verb
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Many in Sacramento are skeptical that Brin and his fellow ultra-rich will succeed in swaying California state politics.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2026
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The mailbox, which surprisingly pops up from a landscape of sugar-white sand and sea oats swaying in the wind, creates a scene straight from a movie.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Naval mines bobbing in the waters of the Persian Gulf, threatening oil tankers.—
Jon Gambrell,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
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Here on the shore, overlooking the lighthouse and the harbor’s bobbing boats, partners Claire Hanrahan and Andrew Ainslie’s restaurant is the epitome of laidback chic with its country-kitchen interiors and butter yellow frontage.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Another neighbor recalled an elevator lurching between floors.—
Elle McLogan,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile the Caliente Range — those mountains just to the west — are lurching the opposite way.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The hearts of these sharks showed severe fibrosis, which happens when scar tissue accumulates and causes stiffness that can impair pumping over time, the researchers wrote.—
Jeanna Bryner,
Scientific American,
4 May 2026
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The Royals were down to their final two outs in the top of the ninth inning, with tough closer Andres Munoz pumping high-velocity fastballs on the mound.—
Jaylon Thompson
May 3,
Kansas City Star,
3 May 2026
Verb
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Insiders told the Miami Herald that the event went swimmingly, even despite a near-miss between Earle, rocking a red mini-dress, and her footballer ex, Braxton Berrios.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2026
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For Mother's Day 2022, Mimi posted a carousel of pics which included this beautiful photo of herself and the twins rocking their bouncy curls.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This is the kind of car that would be a treat to see stateside – and likely one that will have American automakers shaking in their boots.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 May 2026
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Redick said, when going back into the rolodex of his career, that shaking off the rust – as Reaves is doing right now – can have different results depending on the scenario.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Seesawing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/seesawing. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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