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
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
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
-
Hopes of a rail revolution that three years ago was poised to transform connectivity between major cities seem to have faltered.—
Ben Jones,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The New England Patriots faltered in the second half to start the Mike Vrabel era with a 20-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium.—
Tim Crowley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Stripped of a reliable majority, Macron's governments have lurched from one showdown to the next.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
-
As bystanders watched, the luxury yacht lurched to one side, tilting dangerously before taking on water.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Some executives hesitated, unsure of what to expect.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
-
While America has not hesitated to use oceanographic ships to send messages by transiting the Taiwan Strait or probing interesting waters near rivals, China has been far more adept at employing research ships to challenge status quo.—
Craig Hooper,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The two of us boarded, then gently wobbled side to side for balance.—
Naaman Zhou,
New Yorker,
28 Aug. 2025
-
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
-
Terry staggered to the lobby and collapsed, according to court documents.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Fed governors are appointed to staggered, 14-year terms to ensure that no single president can appoint too many.—
Christopher Rugaber,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
After a while, the lady shook her head.—
Bryan Washington,
New Yorker,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The earthquake shook at a depth of just 4 miles, with its epicenter about 6 miles south-southeast of Pinnacles.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Then, just hours later, gunfire rang out outside the church near Annunciation Catholic School – an attack that rocked an already reeling community.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The Doncic trade rocked the franchise and sent fans into a frenzy, with many protesting Nico Harrison at Mavs games and other events.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share