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
So now a season that has teetered stands on the brink, the Heat’s season possibly to be over within a week, even before the best-of-seven opening round of the playoffs.
—
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
Bomer and Cameron Diaz play his gay best friend and gal pal respectively, an emotional rescue squad for a man who has teetered on the edge perhaps one too many times.
—Cary Darling, Houston Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
The crushing amount of what was owed was so dire that the city teetered on the brink of bankruptcy and its debt was downgraded to junk.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2026
Two cars teetered at the jagged edge, their noses tipped skyward, almost frozen in the instant before a plunge.
—Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Several Labour lawmakers and the party's leader in Scotland called for Starmer to resign, his chief of staff and communications director quit, and his premiership teetered on the brink.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Several Labor lawmakers and the party’s leader in Scotland called for Starmer to resign, his chief of staff and communications director quit, and his premiership teetered on the brink.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
Earlier this month, Sarandos was grilled by a Senate committee in an antitrust hearing that often teetered on the edge of the profoundly unserious.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 26 Feb. 2026
For a species that once teetered on the very edge of extinction, every healthy young wombat caught on camera represents a quiet but powerful victory.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
Bomer and Cameron Diaz play his gay best friend and gal pal respectively, an emotional rescue squad for a man who has teetered on the edge perhaps one too many times.
—Cary Darling, Houston Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
The crushing amount of what was owed was so dire that the city teetered on the brink of bankruptcy and its debt was downgraded to junk.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2026
Two cars teetered at the jagged edge, their noses tipped skyward, almost frozen in the instant before a plunge.
—Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Several Labour lawmakers and the party's leader in Scotland called for Starmer to resign, his chief of staff and communications director quit, and his premiership teetered on the brink.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Several Labor lawmakers and the party’s leader in Scotland called for Starmer to resign, his chief of staff and communications director quit, and his premiership teetered on the brink.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
Earlier this month, Sarandos was grilled by a Senate committee in an antitrust hearing that often teetered on the edge of the profoundly unserious.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 26 Feb. 2026
For a species that once teetered on the very edge of extinction, every healthy young wombat caught on camera represents a quiet but powerful victory.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teetered
Verb
-
The right-hander — a former first-round pick by the Pirates in 2017 — missed out on his first victory with the Orioles since being acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay when Baltimore's defense faltered late.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Efforts to identify a leadership alternative inside Iran have faltered.—
Kazem Kazerounian,
Hartford Courant,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Don’t gag, don’t cry — and my stomach lurched.—
Kate Crane,
Rolling Stone,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Since then, the larger culture has lurched rightward, with big corporations abandoning progressive signaling in favor of…other priorities.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
While much of Manhattan hesitated, the ultra-wealthy kept moving—and in some cases, moving quickly when the right opportunity appeared.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
4 Apr. 2026
-
When the girl hesitated, embarrassed, the boy insisted.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Husso has gone 9-8-2 and provided some timely wins during a season where Mrázek wobbled and then fell out of service completely while Lukáš Dostál was on track to set a career high in games played for a second consecutive campaign.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Semiconductors, the last remnant of tech-stock leadership, have wobbled, including some severe profit-taking in memory stocks.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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According to a Monday press release from the Park District, the pink blossoms are approaching stage five, and many of the white blossoms are in stages three and four, meaning blooms will be slightly staggered.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Knueppel staggered, but didn’t fall.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The vicious murder that followed shook Kansas City to its core and to this day, no one knows for certain who snuck into Leila Welsh’s bedroom and brutally murdered her that morning.—
Patrick Salland,
Kansas City Star,
7 Apr. 2026
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Magnus shook his head, his damp hair flopping against the back of his neck.—
Ben Mezrich,
Vanity Fair,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
Verb
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At the other end of the spectrum, Nicholas Hoult subtly flexed a rose-gold Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso with an elegant Milanese bracelet courtside at a Lakers game and John Mulaney rocked the rare Gérald Genta Geneva Minute Repeater on the streets of New York.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
4 Apr. 2026
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In the most lopsided home opener loss in Colorado history, Lorenzen — who pitched for the Phillies in the second half of 2023 following a deadline trade from Detroit — got rocked.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Teetered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teetered. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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