as in tottering
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1
as in faltering
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
2
as in staggering
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 hesitating
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
was teetering on the brink of making a decision about college
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of teetering
Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
And the pitching staff — while the starters have been solid — is teetering off course due to a susceptible bullpen.
—Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026
And every character seems dangerously teetering on a knife’s edge of something unredeemable, a hallmark of Ellroy’s hyperventilating plots.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Apr. 2026
The gazebo at Southold Town Beach is teetering over crumbling asphalt.
—Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
No postseason switch will be flipped if the team’s collective battery is teetering on empty.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 6 Apr. 2026
Related Stories Details were not immediately forthcoming, but the deal was expected to include a major cash infusion into the guild’s teetering health fund, which has bled $200 million over the last four years.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 4 Apr. 2026
While some offer minimal coverage (occasionally teetering on no coverage), this one gave her an even, flawless complexion.
—Kaelin Dodge, InStyle, 3 Apr. 2026
The old liberal institutions may be teetering, but that doesn’t mean that all that’s left is the law of the jungle.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
And the Legislature is doing this at a time when the national economy is teetering and the stock market is volatile.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
And the pitching staff — while the starters have been solid — is teetering off course due to a susceptible bullpen.
—Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026
And every character seems dangerously teetering on a knife’s edge of something unredeemable, a hallmark of Ellroy’s hyperventilating plots.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Apr. 2026
The gazebo at Southold Town Beach is teetering over crumbling asphalt.
—Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
No postseason switch will be flipped if the team’s collective battery is teetering on empty.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 6 Apr. 2026
Related Stories Details were not immediately forthcoming, but the deal was expected to include a major cash infusion into the guild’s teetering health fund, which has bled $200 million over the last four years.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 4 Apr. 2026
While some offer minimal coverage (occasionally teetering on no coverage), this one gave her an even, flawless complexion.
—Kaelin Dodge, InStyle, 3 Apr. 2026
The old liberal institutions may be teetering, but that doesn’t mean that all that’s left is the law of the jungle.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teetering
Adjective
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Neither of them understands the other’s dynamic with Daniel, and the split-episode format keeps our sympathies teeter-tottering between each woman.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Magic played well before faltering down the stretch and had to win an elimination game in the play-in tournament.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
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In some ways, the pair of them have become symbolic of the hope that this team can rise again after faltering in recent weeks.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The bill, which passed with bipartisan support, addressed concerns about giving one party too much power by staggering the new authorizations out over a 0-year period.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
24 Apr. 2026
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The Powell-Herro partnership also was never able to consistently produce positive results, as the Heat was left staggering their minutes by the end of the season.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Trump has criticized European countries for rejecting or hesitating to get involved in the war with Iran.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
17 Apr. 2026
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The Academy seems comfortable celebrating individual excellence within horror while hesitating to crown its films as definitive achievements.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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For years, many of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority have embarked on rickety wooden boats to try to reach neighbouring countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, in a bid to flee persecution in Myanmar or overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
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Your sunnies should be comfortable and durable, not rickety!—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Another neighbor recalled an elevator lurching between floors.—
Elle McLogan,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile the Caliente Range — those mountains just to the west — are lurching the opposite way.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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People that maybe have a more precarious position in the industry and are worried and see AI as a threat — which is absolutely valid — and younger people, younger actors and musicians.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
29 Apr. 2026
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Exhausted and bearing the brunt of Cuba’s precarious economic situation, the elderly wander from place to place, carrying the bags that Cubans customarily take everywhere in the hope of being lucky enough to buy something to eat.—
Sarah Moreno
Updated April 29,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Upon your arrival, staffers on the ground floor usher you into elevators that whisk you up 55 stories, the doors opening to knee-wobbling views of the city and the Singapore Strait.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
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Each increase in weight amplifies these demands, ensuring the robot operates beyond routine conditions while maintaining consistency without wobbling or resets.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Teetering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teetering. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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