TEETERED Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

teetered

verb

past tense of teeter

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

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

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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for teetered

Verb

Trial diversity faltered after the administration purged all references to DEI from the websites of its agencies and in much of its research.

— Helen Branswell, STAT, 6 July 2026
Erdoğan’s rise as a nationalist leader As Turkey's economy slowed and regional ambitions faltered, Erdoğan pivoted once again.

— Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026

Definition of faltered

Verb

Adams’ shoulders lurched on the bench, while Richards fell to his knees, dug his afro into the grass, and closed his eyes in pain.

— Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 7 July 2026
Initial data indicates both of these earthquakes were strike-slip, Magnani said, meaning one plate lurched past the other along the boundary.

— Evan Bush, NBC news, 25 June 2026

Definition of lurched

Verb

The French back line hesitated for a brief second, anticipating a potential foul, but Porro pressed the advantage and side-footed a shot past Mike Maignan in the 58th minute for the backbreaking goal.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
Family described him as a kind and humble man who worked hard and never hesitated to help others.

— Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026

Definition of hesitated

Verb

Employers staggered work schedules, commuters mapped alternate routes and many residents avoided the city altogether.

— Andrea Clement, AJC.com, 17 July 2026
This proposal establishes staggered 18-year terms of active service, allowing every president to appoint exactly two justices per term.

— Dale V.C. Holness, Sun Sentinel, 9 July 2026

Definition of staggered

Verb

Each blast was louder than the one before, and the walls of the house shook violently.

— Laura Kiniry, Popular Science, 16 July 2026
Last October, a roaring blast and fire at Chevron’s El Segundo plant stayed within the refinery footprint but the noise shook the neighborhood and turned the sky sunset-orange, then smoky.

— Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026

Definition of shook

Verb

The deaths of three people in a boat crash on Lake Pepin over the weekend have rocked the small town situated in southeastern Minnesota on the Mississippi River.

— Ashley Grams, CBS News, 13 July 2026
Screen quality is often where budget laptops stumble, but Samsung's Galaxy Chromebook Plus bucks the trend to deliver a stellar OLED display that rocked our world.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 13 July 2026

Definition of rocked

Browse Nearby Words

teeter

teetered

teetering

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Teetered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teetered. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of teetered

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on teetered

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

obdurate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes