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
During the financial crisis in 2009, Detroit’s unemployment rate skyrocketed to 29% as the auto industry teetered on the brink of collapse.
—
Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
Since 2009, Cupertino’s homelessness count has teetered back and forth, reaching a high of 159 in 2019.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
New York teetered on the edge of bankruptcy - the city shuttered more than a dozen firehouses, teachers went on strike and garbage piled up in the streets.
—NPR, 15 Oct. 2025
The two boxers teetered against each other, exhausted, until Padilla stepped in again, pulling Ali’s gloves off the back of Frazier’s neck.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
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
Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
Since 2009, Cupertino’s homelessness count has teetered back and forth, reaching a high of 159 in 2019.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
New York teetered on the edge of bankruptcy - the city shuttered more than a dozen firehouses, teachers went on strike and garbage piled up in the streets.
—NPR, 15 Oct. 2025
The two boxers teetered against each other, exhausted, until Padilla stepped in again, pulling Ali’s gloves off the back of Frazier’s neck.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teetered
Verb
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Pressed to find out exactly where the show faltered, Mangan opined that perhaps the sheer amount of talent behind the camera stopped anyone from steering this Hindenburg on course.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Ultimately, Drake’s suit faltered.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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When he was sacked amid boardroom disputes in September, owner Evangelos Marinakis lurched in another direction.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Instead of taking a low profile and playing down any claims to Taiwan’s independent status like his more cautious DPP predecessor Tsai Ying-wen, Lai has lurched toward formal independence with a succession of speeches making the case for Taiwanese nationhood.—
Lyle Goldstein,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The moment highlighted a shift from March, when Jeffries hesitated to endorse Schumer after a previous bipartisan funding agreement.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Many establishment Democrats hesitated or declined to endorse their party's choice for mayor, and moderate-to-conservative power brokers united behind Cuomo's third-party candidacy.—
Kyler Alvord,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Many have been subject to rising costs as supply chains have wobbled during the Russian war in the Ukraine.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
30 Oct. 2025
-
The peso had wobbled in recent days after a regional election spurred fears Milei would underperform in the midterm vote, prompting a $20 billion bailout promise from the US, which sees him as an ally.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Board members will serve for four years, but the inaugural board will include some two-year appointments so terms are staggered.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Its board of directors has six seats, with elections staggered so that half of the board turns over at a time.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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And Tagovailoa shook off that early interception with a 9-yard scoring pass to Malik Washington — capping a ferocious seven-minute, 92-yard drive — and then a 38-yard TD strike to Jaylen Waddle.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Miller finished with 129 yards on 18 carries, while Jayden Maiava shook off a poor day throwing the ball with 62 yards and a touchdown on 11 attempts.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The shooting rocked the community and drew national attention to the question of how such a young child could commit such an act of violence.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts rocked the NFL world on Tuesday when the teams worked out a massive trade deal just hours before the NFL's trade deadline.—
Anne Erickson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Earth shuddered with yet another wave of extinctions in this initial chill.—
Peter Brannen,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Teetered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teetered. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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