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
The game constantly felt on the edge, sometimes teetering over, from the first kick to the last.
—
Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 13 May 2026
Cuba has teetered on the verge of a humanitarian collapse but came close to reaching a deal with the United States in March, as first reported by USA TODAY.
—Rick Jervis, USA Today, 13 May 2026
There were also some moments in which his season teetered on the edge of disaster.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 9 May 2026
What companies previously saw and relied on as regulatory stability and collaboration has teetered.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for teeter
Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 13 May 2026
Cuba has teetered on the verge of a humanitarian collapse but came close to reaching a deal with the United States in March, as first reported by USA TODAY.
—Rick Jervis, USA Today, 13 May 2026
There were also some moments in which his season teetered on the edge of disaster.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 9 May 2026
What companies previously saw and relied on as regulatory stability and collaboration has teetered.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for teeter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teeter
Verb
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Cimarusti along with his wife and partner Crisi Echiverri cite surging labor and seafood costs, post-pandemic sales drops and shifting habits as ‘middle restaurants’ — between fast-casual and tasting menu destinations — falter.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2026
-
Everlane's finances have faltered in recent years.—
Alina Selyukh,
NPR,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Rhodes staggered and Zayn bounced off the rope and pushed Rhodes onto the announce table.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
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Highlighting the warmth of the hue is the Sport Design package, which adds gloss black accents and staggered two-tone Sport Classic wheels (20 inches in the front, 21 inches in the back).—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Organizations that hesitate risk not just falling behind but also missing the chance to help shape the future landscape.—
Tom Hood,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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The couple have since kept a low profile with their relationship, but have not hesitated to show their support for each other on social media and at public events, including the launch party for Holland's non-alcoholic brand Bero in New York City in October 2024.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Your calm precision can keep the whole plan from wobbling.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2026
-
The small robots wobble through the parks with lifelike movements, reacting to guests and showing emotion through body language rather than speech.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Instead of thoughtful, adaptive action, characters lurch between hesitation and reckless decisions, with catastrophic results.—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2026
-
So between those two things, the balance of gerrymanders has lurched pretty abruptly toward the right.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
His government has previously vacillated between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian positions.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
2 May 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Their legs trembled beneath them, their hands and heads shook with anxiety, and at times Snow, in tears, curled into the arms of friends and loved ones.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
10 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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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 29 May. 2026.
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