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
The original Sex and the City boasted one of the best foursomes in TV history, with Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha’s wildly different personalities perfectly balancing each other out — and once Samantha was removed, the whole show teetered unsteadily like a table missing a leg.
—
Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 14 Aug. 2025
Shares of both stocks teetered on Tuesday before closing slightly higher.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 12 Aug. 2025
Violeta was on her mobility scooter, and Julia teetered on Jay’s arm.
—Bridget Read, Curbed, 18 Dec. 2024
Gabby Barrett also teetered on the line, with plans to double down even further.
—Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2024
In some places, homes teetered on hillsides and washed-out riverbanks.
—Jeff Amy, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024
In some places, homes teetered on hillsides and riverbanks that had been washed away.
—Jeff Amy, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2024
The Aggies have long teetered on the tipping point of college football’s top subdivision, eschewing pressures over the years to call it a day and drop down to FCS.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 14 Aug. 2025
Shares of both stocks teetered on Tuesday before closing slightly higher.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 12 Aug. 2025
Violeta was on her mobility scooter, and Julia teetered on Jay’s arm.
—Bridget Read, Curbed, 18 Dec. 2024
Gabby Barrett also teetered on the line, with plans to double down even further.
—Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2024
In some places, homes teetered on hillsides and washed-out riverbanks.
—Jeff Amy, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024
In some places, homes teetered on hillsides and riverbanks that had been washed away.
—Jeff Amy, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2024
The Aggies have long teetered on the tipping point of college football’s top subdivision, eschewing pressures over the years to call it a day and drop down to FCS.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teetered
Verb
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The only categories that The Studio faltered in were the Supporting Actor/Actress in a Comedy categories.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
15 Sep. 2025
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Iranian officials have long pledged to restore the lake, but revival efforts have faltered.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Kirk lurched back and to the left.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
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Stripped of a reliable majority, Macron's governments have lurched from one showdown to the next.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The company had traditionally hesitated to include browns in its product range, but in her first year, after nixing the violet, Waight Keller introduced mocha brown, chocolaty brown, and a winey brown that looked like it had been poured from a decanter.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
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Tran said some Republican clubs have even hesitated to ask their universities for support or security for their events.—
Hanna Kang,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The two of us boarded, then gently wobbled side to side for balance.—
Naaman Zhou,
New Yorker,
28 Aug. 2025
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But the wheels wobbled, with spurts of energy coming to dead stops as Wayne bounced from song to song.—
Heather Bushman,
IndyStar,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The raises, which will be staggered, will amount to a cumulative 16% increase over the next three years, starting with a 2% increase in January 2026.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
9 Sep. 2025
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Commissioners are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, each serving staggered seven-year terms to provide continuity and independence from election cycles.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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A week after suffering a gut-punch loss to Nevada in Reno when two winning touchdowns were called back in the final moment and a tying field goal with seconds to play just missed, Sac State shook off early jitters to unleash a balanced offense in improving to 1-2.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Just three months ago, Israel and Iran fought a 12-day war that shook the Middle East.—
Ian Bremmer,
Time,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The murder, which rocked the quiet neighborhood and haunted those who loved Leslie, remained unsolved for over two decades.—
Claire Lempert,
ABC News,
12 Sep. 2025
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Once again, a shooting with multiple victims has rocked Colorado – this time at a high school in Evergreen.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For much of last season, Atletico appeared set to seriously compete on all fronts, but their season shuddered to a stop in March with a series of disappointing defeats by Barcelona and Madrid across La Liga, Copa del Rey and the Champions League.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
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The van shuddered, shifted gear.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Teetered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teetered. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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