1
as in to falter
to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side
he nervously teetered at the edge of the pool before finally diving in
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to stagger
to move forward while swaying from side to side
the toddler teetered down the rink in her new ice skates
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to hesitate
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
was teetering on the brink of making a decision about college
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of teeter
Then one evening, the production teetered on the brink — an arrest, a cover-up, and a crisis that could have shut the film down entirely.
—
Tony Lee Moral, IndieWire, 27 Apr. 2026
The Royals were down a run and teetering on a home loss to the Los Angeles Angels.
—Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026
Everything teeters on the verge of going bad, and weekend plans often get in the way of cooking through them.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2026
April 25th is Independent Bookstore Day, and many of us readers honor and celebrate it by making pilgrimages to our favorite local shops to add more books to our already teetering TBRs.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for teeter
Tony Lee Moral, IndieWire, 27 Apr. 2026
The Royals were down a run and teetering on a home loss to the Los Angeles Angels.
—Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026
Everything teeters on the verge of going bad, and weekend plans often get in the way of cooking through them.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2026
April 25th is Independent Bookstore Day, and many of us readers honor and celebrate it by making pilgrimages to our favorite local shops to add more books to our already teetering TBRs.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for teeter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teeter
Verb
-
The merger, announced about a year ago, faltered for several reasons.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
Most of that was driven by faltering corporation tax receipts.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
By the time the Magic staggered into Detroit for Game 7 on Sunday afternoon, the outcome felt less like a question and more like an inevitability.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
The works depicted broken figures staggering toward the viewer in ragged uniforms — in distorted sizes, giant hands and small heads.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Mazzulla, who’s trumpeted the Celtics depth at every turn this season, shouldn’t hesitate to use it if his starters stumble on Saturday.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
1 May 2026
-
That level of detail can make even cautious people hesitate.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Now, though, the wheels are starting to wobble.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Upon your arrival, staffers on the ground floor usher you into elevators that whisk you up 55 stories, the doors opening to knee-wobbling views of the city and the Singapore Strait.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The ladies haven’t had that problem, lurching out of the gate like the racehorses at Ascot.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
-
For weeks, the Strait of Hormuz has lurched between open and closed — mostly the latter — depending on the day’s escalation, underscoring how fragile a system built on global fossil fuel chokepoints has become.—
Jennifer Granholm,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The status of further peace talks and other key details of the current relationship between the warring powers have grown increasingly opaque, with Trump vacillating between resuming saber-rattling rhetoric and indicating Washington’s readiness for additional negotiations with Iran.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Barron vacillated between playing deep in situational dime packages, fitting run gaps as a veritable off-ball linebacker in big-nickel packages, covering tight ends man-to-man, and even started a game at safety.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The simulation is so immersive that windows, shaped like those of a plane, show drifting clouds as the room trembles with faux turbulence.—
Chris Malloy,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 Apr. 2026
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This level of exercise includes shoulder stabilization through a downward dog series, the core engaged in boat pose, and legs that work hard enough to tremble during chair pose.—
William Jones,
Ascend Agency,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Models are tottering on the cobblestoned Bond Street with their heels getting stuck in the rivets.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Now, even that tiny effort is tottering.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Teeter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teeter. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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