1
as in faltered
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
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2
as in lurched
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 hesitated
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 teetered
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
The vast majority of Sacramento’s homeless population are Sacramentans who were our next-door neighbors, who teetered on the edge of poverty until falling off a financial cliff into homelessness.
—Robin Epley, Sacbee.com, 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
On a 1-1 count, Cubs infielder Matt Shaw hit a weak dribbler down the third base line that teetered on the edge of fair or foul.
—Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
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
Its path to passage has teetered all week in a familiar fight, as lawmakers weigh civil liberties concerns against intelligence officials' warnings about national security risks.
—CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
Its path to passage has teetered all week in a familiar fight, as lawmakers weigh civil liberties concerns against intelligence officials’ warnings about national security risks.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
Rick Jervis, USA Today, 13 May 2026
The vast majority of Sacramento’s homeless population are Sacramentans who were our next-door neighbors, who teetered on the edge of poverty until falling off a financial cliff into homelessness.
—Robin Epley, Sacbee.com, 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
On a 1-1 count, Cubs infielder Matt Shaw hit a weak dribbler down the third base line that teetered on the edge of fair or foul.
—Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
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
Its path to passage has teetered all week in a familiar fight, as lawmakers weigh civil liberties concerns against intelligence officials' warnings about national security risks.
—CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
Its path to passage has teetered all week in a familiar fight, as lawmakers weigh civil liberties concerns against intelligence officials’ warnings about national security risks.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teetered
Verb
-
Diplomatic efforts aimed at a more durable peace have faltered.—
Jon Gambrell,
Fortune,
17 May 2026
-
The ceasefire remains tenuous, with diplomatic efforts for a more durable peace having faltered.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
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So between those two things, the balance of gerrymanders has lurched pretty abruptly toward the right.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
Meanwhile, federal policy has lurched in opposite directions.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
But they are mentioned without context, in a way that underlines the Smithsonian’s touchy relationship with an administration that has not hesitated to strong-arm the institution.—
Kelsey Ables,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
-
Times when studios hesitated about festivals?—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Minnesota found its groove in the fourth quarter, while San Antonio’s legs wobbled.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
5 May 2026
-
If everyone succeeded, the box got shorter for the next round, while the other participants hovered nearby to catch anyone who wobbled.—
Lily Hautau,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
But Betts’ staggered playing time will only last so long, and the Dodgers would like to refrain from having both Kim and Freeland on the bench.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
Indiana has staggered statewide elections, so Bray is not up for reelection until 2028, but his leadership position could be in jeopardy with the results of Tuesday's election.—
Caroline Linton,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Her plea will spare a lengthy discovery period and likely mark the legal denouement of a federal probe that shook Sacramento after the FBI recorded dozens of lobbyists in the summer of 2024 as part of the investigation.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
14 May 2026
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The writer-director sets her sophomore feature barely two years after the country shook off the despot’s iron grip.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
On the floor, waist-high piles of books tottered like miniature leaning towers of Pisa.—
The Christian Science Monitor,
Christian Science Monitor,
12 June 2025
Verb
-
The judiciary said Shahbakhsh carried out his attacks during protests that rocked Iran in 2022 and 2023 following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian Kurdish woman.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
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The cruise ship rocked by an unprecedented Andes hantavirus outbreak arrived in the Canary Islands off the coast of Tenerife Island over the weekend and is being evacuated.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Teetered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teetered. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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