Synonyms of teetered

teetered

verb

past tense of teeter

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

• faltered
• wobbled
• trembled
• shook
• rocked
• tottered
• shuddered
• lurched
• wavered
• vibrated
• quivered
• stumbled
• floundered
• toddled
• staggered
• reeled
• quaked
• quavered
• weaved
• careened

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

• lurched
• staggered
• weaved
• tottered
• waddled
• careened
• reeled
• rolled
• shuffled
• stumbled
• stomped
• rocked
• swayed
• doddered
• wobbled
• wavered
• shambled
• floundered
• seesawed
• barged
• stamped
• blundered
• clumped
• pounded
• tramped
• lumbered
• scuffled
• clomped
• lumped
• swagged
• scuffed
• galumphed
• tromped

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

• hesitated
• faltered
• vacillated
• wavered
• wobbled
• staggered
• debated
• dithered
• halted
• waited
• hung back
• paused
• balanced
• scrupled
• swayed
• lingered
• pondered
• hemmed
• hawed
• weighed
• dawdled
• procrastinated
• delayed
• shilly-shallied
• deliberated
• oscillated
• backed down
• waffled
• equivocated
• dallied
• considered
• chickened (out)
• hedged
• pussyfooted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• decided
• plunged (in)
• continued
• stirred
• dived (in)
• budged
• advanced

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of teetered

Our family teetered on the cusp of something ragged and broken. — Raj Panjabi, Time, 13 Oct. 2026

The Montgomery hospital had teetered on the edge of closure this summer before the agreement to keep it operating. — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 16 Sep. 2026

While Berlin’s Tuttle teetered on the verge of being fired by the German government, which funds 40% of the event, Barbera came out of last year’s political polemics on the Lido unscathed. — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026

The news shocked scientists and engineers across NASA missions, who were suddenly dealt a dose of uncertainty as their job security teetered in political limbo. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 27 Aug. 2026

Lucarelli’s command teetered as the game lagged on the MacBook. — Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

When Culp took the helm in 2018, the colossal conglomerate that Jack Welch built into the most valuable and admired enterprise in America teetered on the brink of collapse. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 23 July 2026

Debris was strewn around his neighborhood and a neighbor’s shed teetered over a washed-away section of the property. — Jesse Bedayn, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026

And after a season that has teetered between disappointing and disastrous, maybe dreaming is exactly what this franchise needs. — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2026