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
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Recent Examples of teeter
Several Labor lawmakers and the party’s leader in Scotland called for Starmer to resign, his chief of staff and communications director quit, and his premiership teetered on the brink.
—
Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
This team is currently teetering on the precipice of contention.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
Earlier this month, Sarandos was grilled by a Senate committee in an antitrust hearing that often teetered on the edge of the profoundly unserious.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 26 Feb. 2026
In a crosstown rivalry, and a battle of teams teetering on the NCAA Tournament bubble, animosity came naturally.
—Aaron Heisen, Oc Register, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for teeter
Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
This team is currently teetering on the precipice of contention.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
Earlier this month, Sarandos was grilled by a Senate committee in an antitrust hearing that often teetered on the edge of the profoundly unserious.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 26 Feb. 2026
In a crosstown rivalry, and a battle of teams teetering on the NCAA Tournament bubble, animosity came naturally.
—Aaron Heisen, Oc Register, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for teeter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teeter
Verb
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But UConn faltered in the second half, surrendering a 20-4 run and at one point going nearly eight minutes between field goals.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
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If real estate values falter in a community, the decline could imperil a crucial revenue stream from property taxes for cities, counties, regional agencies, and school districts.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Heat continues to stagger the minutes of its two top scoring guards.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
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The result is a heavy blow to Starmer, whose leadership has staggered through a series of crises and suffered a near-death experience earlier this month.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That's over twice the value of gold from just one year ago, and now investors who once hesitated to buy gold are weighing whether the opportunity has already passed — or whether the metal still has room to run.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
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Peter doesn’t hesitate to show up, but things quickly go bad.—
Oline H. Cogdill,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The rungs were slippery with rain, and the bridge wobbled sickeningly with each step.—
Robert Moor,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
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Jokic’s shooting legs still seem to wobble late.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Elsewhere in town, the original creature, played by Christian Bale, has lurched here from Austria still on his lonely quest for companionship.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
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Then, just as abruptly, the plane lurched up, slamming everyone back to the ground.—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Trump’s remarks vacillated between defiant and scathing.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2026
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Watch a season of the Y2K reality juggernaut and the tone will vacillate wildly between cringe-worthy put-downs via Janice Dickinson, cringier photoshoots, feel-good runway lessons with Miss J, and body positivity monologues from Tyra Banks.—
Madeline Hirsch,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The influencer recounted this to his fans with a trembling voice, but his typical setup hadn’t changed.—
Kenneal Patterson,
Vanity Fair,
19 Feb. 2026
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Cross-country skiing is known for its attrition, an event that leaves its competitors foam-mouthed and slack-jawed; athletes of iron reduced to trembling and contorted shapes on the floor.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Models are tottering on the cobblestoned Bond Street with their heels getting stuck in the rivets.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
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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 Mar. 2026.
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