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
Relevance
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
And although their brand of comedy teetered on the absurd, the Duncans eventually became about as familiar as the Matthews.
—
Christian Holub,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 June 2026
Labour has teetered on the edge of one for weeks after those disastrous local election results, and only Burnham’s inability to run before now seems to have delayed one.
—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
Several holes, including the 13th, the site of Mickelson’s bizarre ruling, teetered on the edge of unplayable, according to players.
—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
16 June 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
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
Christian Holub,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 June 2026
Labour has teetered on the edge of one for weeks after those disastrous local election results, and only Burnham’s inability to run before now seems to have delayed one.
—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
Several holes, including the 13th, the site of Mickelson’s bizarre ruling, teetered on the edge of unplayable, according to players.
—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
16 June 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teetered
Verb
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When Johnson faltered, Clark had plenty of breathing room — and a quick turnaround.
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Still up seven games in the NL East, the Braves (46-27) are in an offensive funk over the past week, and the team’s good starting pitching has faltered some.
Verb
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Latin America has lurched rightward in recent elections, as governments scramble to curtail violence stemming from record cocaine production.
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As the carriage lurched forward, the teen’s mother fell from the vehicle, prompting Romanch Mahajan to jump out in an effort to help her, The Times reported.
Verb
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Keep in mind, Andy, Woody’s first and beloved owner, wanted to keep Woody with him, even in college, and hesitated for a moment before giving him up to Bonnie in Toy Story 3.
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Instead, both hesitated, their feet tangled and a charging Healy banged in the loose ball.
Verb
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Suddenly, the tent jerked and wobbled.
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Sunny Side of the Doc may have wobbled after its 36th edition.
Verb
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To ensure Miami 305 can still meet the league's minimum roster requirements, the suspensions will be staggered.
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In exchange for taking these steps, Iran would receive financial relief staggered over time and sequenced to correspond with compliance.
Verb
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The quake, which struck during morning rush hour, also mildly shook Tokyo.
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One witness said they were forced to evacuate as the earthquake shook buildings, while another reported that cracks formed on the side of their building, according to the outlet.
Verb
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On the floor, waist-high piles of books tottered like miniature leaning towers of Pisa.
Verb
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Emir Caner led the small Baptist college for 17 years until he was removed last year as a former student and staff member’s story of abuse rocked its campus in the Georgia foothills.
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In a scandal that rocked the business, Davis was fired from Columbia in May 1973, accused of defrauding the company of $94,000 in expense-account violations, including paying for his son Fred’s bar mitzvah and a renovation of his apartment.
Cite this Entry
“Teetered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teetered. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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