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
Moreover, some prominent Wall Street voices think the month could feature some catch-up for a labor market that was teetering at this time last year, with risks to the downside for the headline number.
—
Jeff Cox, CNBC, 4 June 2026
West Contra Costa Unified, the second largest of its 18 districts, is teetering.
—Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, Mercury News, 1 June 2026
The economics are so unprecedented that Anthropic — which raised another $65 billion at a $965 valuation — seems to be teetering on the brink of either growing too fast, or too slowly.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 29 May 2026
There's an undeniable allure to the pale yellow shade, a saccharine hue that teeters the line on both mellow and bright.
—Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for teeter
Jeff Cox, CNBC, 4 June 2026
West Contra Costa Unified, the second largest of its 18 districts, is teetering.
—Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, Mercury News, 1 June 2026
The economics are so unprecedented that Anthropic — which raised another $65 billion at a $965 valuation — seems to be teetering on the brink of either growing too fast, or too slowly.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 29 May 2026
There's an undeniable allure to the pale yellow shade, a saccharine hue that teeters the line on both mellow and bright.
—Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for teeter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teeter
Verb
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Enjoy the Games Fortunately, Serrian said, the human mind is pretty good at picking up where less-than-perfect TVs falter.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
12 June 2026
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Had the 747 project faltered, Boeing would likely have gone down with it.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
Verb
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To stagger the terms, governors in those three branches were elected this year to one-, two- or three-year terms, with the process reverting to the standard one-governor-per-branch, three-year cycle in 2027.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
15 June 2026
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Offer flexible or part-time schedules or stagger the return to work.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Businesses denied loans mid-deal Traditional banks often hesitate to deal with small firms.—
Alina Selyukh,
NPR,
12 June 2026
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For example, a manager may hesitate to recommend another woman for a high-profile assignment out of concern that opportunities are limited or that supporting a peer could diminish her own standing.—
Maia Niguel Hoskin,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
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If costs wobble, choose sturdy materials and skip extras, because reliability brings lasting ease that nourishes home life.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
15 June 2026
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Yet the definition of what belongs in a stein or wine glass is starting to wobble.—
David Dickstein,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Long road trips, cruises, airplane takeoffs, and landings—all make my stomach lurch.—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
9 June 2026
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In a December 2024 crash, a bus lurched onto a sidewalk outside Curley K-8 School in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood.—
Willoughby Mariano,
ProPublica,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
In general, game-to-game data vacillates pretty wildly.—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
-
And Dylan vacillates in that same way.—
Stuart Miller,
Oc Register,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Yet despite a certain air of inevitability, the Democratic Party’s movers and shakers are trembling at the prospect of another Harris run.—
Aidan McLaughlin,
Vanity Fair,
21 May 2026
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Logic, curated by decades of precedent, suggested the 22-year-old might tremble at the growl of the aggressive, experienced Wolves.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Verb
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In an accompanying cartoon, Spark is caricatured as a sulking giant, tottering above the Tuscan countryside in a pair of high heels.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
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Among them a City boy wearing three Fit-Bit-type devices, two beautiful Middle Eastern sisters, an outrageously pompous elderly American (sorry; eavesdropping), and several Imelda Marcos lookalikes, tottering out of the treatment rooms with, somehow, their elaborate hairstyles still intact.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Teeter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teeter. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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