TEETER Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

teeter

verb

ˈtē-tər

Definition of teeter

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

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

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 show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of teeter But there’s also an untidiness to it, teetering on the edge of its seams, threatening to unravel but always miraculously staying in place. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026 But the sum succeeds, teetering deliciously between sweet and savory. — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026 This was high praise at a time when America was recovering from the Depression while teetering on the brink of World War II. — Gaby Iori october 7, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026 The Giants are tied for the best record in the NFC East with the teetering Philadelphia Eagles (2-1). — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for teeter

Recent Examples of Synonyms for teeter

Verb

Anir has remained glued to the door, his left hand gripping the handle as if clinging to something solid might keep him from faltering.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2026
When that reboot faltered, climaxing in a nightmarish season-14 finale, RHONY got another, softer reboot in the form of all but three cast members being fired.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of falter

Verb

Reevaluate your coverage options, then, in light of recent market developments and don't hesitate to reconsider your life insurance type, too, as your goals may have changed compared to when it was first secured.

— Matt Richardson, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
In an era when consumers don’t hesitate to post even hurtful comments, says Saunders, Cohen knows how to operate.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of hesitate

Verb

If image-processing software can better clean up stars’ glare, the hardware can be allowed to wobble a bit more.

— Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 4 Nov. 2026
Telescopes do not stay perfectly still, so nearly imperceptible changes caused by wobbling alter the resulting images of starlight.

— Adam Harrington, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of wobble

Verb

Her dancers contort and gyrate not only to music but to the mischievous natter of recorded dialogue, to the sound of wind and the hiss and lurch of a train.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2026
By the end of the lengthy, lurching first act, the entire eight-person cast is onstage.

— Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of lurch

Verb

Understandably, Penn struggles to hold these disparate points of focus together with a performance that vacillates between disarmingly dopey and almost willfully ignorant of the realities of the 2000s media landscape.

— Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 17 Oct. 2026
The strength came as oil prices continued to vacillate because of uncertainty about when the war with Iran will allow the global energy industry to return to normal.

— Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of vacillate

Verb

But now, the occupation seems to tremble before Palestinian children holding paper and string.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Those afflicted would tremble and jerk around, lose the ability to stand or swallow, and, after many months of slow suffering, die.

— David Remnick, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of tremble

Verb

Like a lot of us who tottered into consciousness in the second half of the 20th century, Les Claypool grew up with cartoons from the family television beaming into his retinas.

— Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 2 Aug. 2026
Outside, a gull tottered to the window and tapped its beak against the glass.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026

Definition of totter

Browse Nearby Words

tees off

teeter

teetered

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Teeter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teeter. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of teeter

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

quondam

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes