as in tottering
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
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 teetering
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 1 Mar. 2026
That’s clearly the balance Chinese Republicans wants to strike as a whole, but even as Iris stands surefooted, the play itself is still teetering.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
This team is currently teetering on the precipice of contention.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
In a crosstown rivalry, and a battle of teams teetering on the NCAA Tournament bubble, animosity came naturally.
—Aaron Heisen, Oc Register, 25 Feb. 2026
But the nocturnal and reclusive New Zealand native bird ’s fate is teetering toward survival after an unlikely conservation effort that has coaxed the population from 50 to more than 200 over three decades.
—Charlotte Graham-McLay, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
But the nocturnal and reclusive New Zealand native bird ’s fate is teetering toward survival after an unlikely conservation effort that has coaxed the population from 50 to more than 200 over three decades.
—ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
Sacramento’s schools have been teetering on the edge of insolvency for years due to outlays that are markedly greater than income.
—Dan Walters, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
Social issue and character driven, events are steered by Swiss gold trader Hannah who, with her company teetering towards collapse, turns to illicit trading.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
At the same time, the private credit world is said to be teetering because it is based on syndicated and damaged private equity loans.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 1 Mar. 2026
That’s clearly the balance Chinese Republicans wants to strike as a whole, but even as Iris stands surefooted, the play itself is still teetering.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
This team is currently teetering on the precipice of contention.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
In a crosstown rivalry, and a battle of teams teetering on the NCAA Tournament bubble, animosity came naturally.
—Aaron Heisen, Oc Register, 25 Feb. 2026
But the nocturnal and reclusive New Zealand native bird ’s fate is teetering toward survival after an unlikely conservation effort that has coaxed the population from 50 to more than 200 over three decades.
—Charlotte Graham-McLay, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
But the nocturnal and reclusive New Zealand native bird ’s fate is teetering toward survival after an unlikely conservation effort that has coaxed the population from 50 to more than 200 over three decades.
—ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
Sacramento’s schools have been teetering on the edge of insolvency for years due to outlays that are markedly greater than income.
—Dan Walters, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
Social issue and character driven, events are steered by Swiss gold trader Hannah who, with her company teetering towards collapse, turns to illicit trading.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teetering
Adjective
-
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
-
Milan’s faltering title hopes in Serie A won’t be helped by a horrible injury to Ruben Loftus-Cheek.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Even if things don’t go exactly as planned, you’re braced to make any necessary adjustments without faltering.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Add additional rows of blocks, staggering them over the previous layer and using construction adhesive between rows.—
Daniel Modlin,
Architectural Digest,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Dash camera video posted by the Huber Heights Police Department on its Facebook page shows the worker rolling the bin toward a garbage truck, lifting the lid and quickly staggering back before pointing toward the container as officers pull up.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Names by Florence Knapp After a devastating storm, Cora brings her newborn son to be registered, hesitating when pressured to name him after her controlling husband.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Igor Jesus fluffed his lines when Omari Hutchinson sent him through on goal, hesitating too long and allowing Virgil van Dijk to snatch the ball.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And third, after years of gerrymandering and Republican consolidation of power, the Democratic turnout machine is exceedingly rickety.—
Tad Friend,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
-
They will now be soldered together to form a financially rickety public hospital system.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The two sides have been lurching toward this end for a while now.—
Josh Kendall,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Brant, who was elected in a special election in August, inherited an office already in disarray, in a county that has spent the past year lurching from one government crisis to the next.—
Nick El Hajj,
Des Moines Register,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
With precarious Uranus in your sign and Venus in your 11th House of Associations, their sextile emphasizes the way identity shifts affect your allies.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Whispers in May embodies the courageous vision of a woman director in China, where making independent documentary films is a precarious endeavor.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
One of the frontrunners is wobbling.—
Jon Wilner,
Mercury News,
24 Feb. 2026
-
They are carefully balanced so that the rotor spins smoothly without wobbling.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Teetering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teetering. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
