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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Recent Examples of teetering
Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 13 June 2026
The final putt — two feet, 10 inches — was appropriately dramatic, teetering along the left edge before curling back into the cup.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
Moreover, some prominent Wall Street voices think the month could feature some catch-up for a labor market that was teetering at this time last year, with risks to the downside for the headline number.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 4 June 2026
West Contra Costa Unified, the second largest of its 18 districts, is teetering.
—Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, Mercury News, 1 June 2026
The economics are so unprecedented that Anthropic — which raised another $65 billion at a $965 valuation — seems to be teetering on the brink of either growing too fast, or too slowly.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 29 May 2026
The two met through the Silicon Valley web at the turn of the century, and soon Gracias—at 55, just one year older than Musk—lent Musk $1 million in his early days at Tesla, when the company was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 25 May 2026
But over the last few years, Buck said prices have soared, leaving the industry teetering on collapse.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 16 May 2026
The game constantly felt on the edge, sometimes teetering over, from the first kick to the last.
—Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 13 May 2026
Verb
The first half of the film is essentially a political thriller—shades of 1974’s The Parallax View and similar films—as global tensions have the world teetering on the brink of World War III.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 13 June 2026
The final putt — two feet, 10 inches — was appropriately dramatic, teetering along the left edge before curling back into the cup.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
Moreover, some prominent Wall Street voices think the month could feature some catch-up for a labor market that was teetering at this time last year, with risks to the downside for the headline number.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 4 June 2026
West Contra Costa Unified, the second largest of its 18 districts, is teetering.
—Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, Mercury News, 1 June 2026
The economics are so unprecedented that Anthropic — which raised another $65 billion at a $965 valuation — seems to be teetering on the brink of either growing too fast, or too slowly.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 29 May 2026
The two met through the Silicon Valley web at the turn of the century, and soon Gracias—at 55, just one year older than Musk—lent Musk $1 million in his early days at Tesla, when the company was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 25 May 2026
But over the last few years, Buck said prices have soared, leaving the industry teetering on collapse.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 16 May 2026
The game constantly felt on the edge, sometimes teetering over, from the first kick to the last.
—Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 13 May 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
-
China's economy has shown signs of faltering following a strong first-quarter.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
9 June 2026
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Tangent The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board specifically calls out declining pandemic preparedness funding as a result of faltering political attention.—
Mary Whitfill Roeloffs,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Cheng likes to build muni bond ladders, which means staggering the maturity dates of multiple bonds.—
Michelle Fox,
CNBC,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Cleaning can be an overwhelming task, so consider staggering your projects.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The book does often feel like a recording of a mental jam session, but there is also a sense of being guided by a kind of hesitating yet urgent voice that needs to get things figured out.—
Craig Morgan Teicher,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
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Walgreens isn’t hesitating to close stores in parts of Chicago where theft is frequent and there are legitimate concerns about the safety of employees and customers.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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The nature trail, declared a safety hazard, is rickety and missing some of its wooden planks.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
31 May 2026
-
This time around, there was uncertainty over whether their rickety old stadium would be able to stage European games, due to a row between Rayo president Raul Martin Presa and local authorities over who pays for maintenance and improvements at the municipal ground.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
January 20 – February 18 The task gets easier when the instructions stop wobbling.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
10 June 2026
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Art schools, like all schools, are wobbling under the illogic of the cost-benefit math.—
Katy Siegel,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Verb
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These are some of the heaviest grooves that Seefeel have created in ages, channeling lurching currents through intricate chains of dub delay.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
6 May 2026
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Another neighbor recalled an elevator lurching between floors.—
Elle McLogan,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This shift leaves mid-to-upper-tier retailers, such as Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn and traditional department stores, in a precarious position, forcing them to either mimic RH’s high-end curation or risk being undercut by big-box efficiency.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
10 June 2026
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In the political landscape that Tate helped create, women hold an increasingly precarious position.—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Teetering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teetering. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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