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
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
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
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
With these teetering burgers, there’s little need for sides.
—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
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
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
-
Neither of them understands the other’s dynamic with Daniel, and the split-episode format keeps our sympathies teeter-tottering between each woman.
Verb
-
Chris Jung | Nurphoto | Getty Images Shares of Nvidia have been faltering recently — and Kalshi traders predict that what the company can charge for chips is also declining.
-
After faltering in last year’s Div.
Verb
-
The works depicted broken figures staggering toward the viewer in ragged uniforms — in distorted sizes, giant hands and small heads.
-
The works depicted broken figures staggering toward the viewer in ragged uniforms — in distorted sizes, giant hand and small heads.
Verb
-
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.
-
While their rivals started spending significant sums of money as soon as the 2024-25 season finished, Spurs wasted a couple of weeks hesitating about the long-term future of then head coach Ange Postecoglou before replacing him with Thomas Frank.
Adjective
-
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.
-
Your sunnies should be comfortable and durable, not rickety!
Verb
-
Art schools, like all schools, are wobbling under the illogic of the cost-benefit math.
-
Your calm precision can keep the whole plan from wobbling.
Verb
-
The old guard of the Democratic Party suffered another body blow when three socialist congressional candidates in New York with anti-Israel platforms swept to victory, lurching the party even further to the left.
-
When Colombia heads to the polls June 21, the region will be watching to see if the nation joins the right-wing surge across Latin America, with Chile, Honduras, and Costa Rica lurching to the political right over the past year.
Adjective
-
But like others interviewed by the AJC, this trainee opted not to report his allegations because of his precarious employment status.
-
Even Hollywood critics of the generative AI economy express sympathy for those working in this precarious field.
Cite this Entry
“Teetering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teetering. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
