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

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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

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 teetered 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 After a strong start to the tournament, the reigning champions teetered on the brink of elimination throughout the knockout stage, trailing Egypt and England until the closing stages, needing extra time to overcome Cape Verde and Switzerland. — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 20 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 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teetered
  1. faltered
  2. lurched
  3. hesitated
  4. wobbled
  5. staggered
  6. shook
  7. tottered
  8. rocked
Verb
  • At the same time, an already untenable diplomatic effort to end the war has faltered once again as mistrust deepens between the longtime adversaries.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
  • Even as broader tech names and momentum plays have faltered, Apple has hit new all-time highs.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 29 July 2026
Definition of faltered
Verb
  • For example, New York endured weather whiplash on July 18 as the city lurched from a heat wave and smoke pollution from Canadian wildfires to flash flooding from slow-moving thunderstorms that dumped a few inches of rain in a short period of time.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
  • There are vivid characters—the rich, distinguished crook Brandon, the platinum-blond secretary Miss Vermilyea; Javonen, ex-military intelligence, and seedy private eye from Kansas, Noble, who might have lurched out of an early Graham Greene story.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
Definition of lurched
Verb
  • When Kimmel hesitated when guessing Spaghetti & Meatball, Affleck and Ding called upon Ding’s trivia partner Stephen Morrison, who opted not to answer.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2026
  • Natalia, again fearing a trap, hesitated to disembark—until the dawn light revealed the smiling face of the rotund Diego Rivera, flanked by Mexican Trotskyists and government officials.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 July 2026
Definition of hesitated
Verb
  • The structure beneath Klopp wobbled, and Liverpool bounced between sporting directors — one of whom, Jorg Schmadtke, Klopp was allowed to source himself.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 15 July 2026
  • Healthcare is a classic defensive sector, so as the AI trade wobbled and investors booked profits in first-half winners, more money flowed in the direction of companies like J & J, Cardinal and our other Club healthcare name Eli Lilly .
    — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 14 July 2026
Definition of wobbled
Verb
  • The political crisis has meant that legislative elections, originally scheduled for July 27, have now been staggered into three separate days over a period of two weeks.
    — Hasan Ali, Christian Science Monitor, 26 July 2026
  • The American staggered out of the gates at Royal Portrush last year to an opening 78, but played the final three rounds in a blazing 16-under-par.
    — Justin Ray, New York Times, 18 July 2026
Definition of staggered
Verb
  • While warming up, the four 2,400-hp Pratt & Whitney engines rattled and shook the plane’s fuselage.
    — Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Witnesses said the explosion shook the area as much as the quake.
    — Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of shook
Verb
  • Outside, a gull tottered to the window and tapped its beak against the glass.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of tottered
Verb
  • Rabbitt reflected on how the killings have rocked the town, which is located roughly 18 miles north of Albany.
    — Matt Foster, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • This year’s Tour de France Femmes has been rocked by allegations that some riders are artificially exaggerating their bust size to gain an aerodynamic advantage.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of rocked

Browse Nearby Words

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teetered
teetering
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Cite this Entry

“Teetered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teetered. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of teetered for Spanish Speakers

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