1
as in falters
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 staggers
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 hesitates
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 teeters
The actors do cartwheels along a tightrope to nail the tone, which teeters between dark comedy and tragedy – quintessentially Lanthimos.
—
Thomas Page, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
However, as a geostorm ravages Earth, Athena and Hen’s space mission teeters on the edge.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
Although the film strays drastically from Stephen King's novel, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is a complex film that teeters between the psychological and supernatural horror subgenres.
—Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
As the Russian economy teeters due to sanctions, high inflation and dwindling growth, the offer of high salaries to entice troops has given way to encouraging Russians to join by downplaying the risk of going to war, according to the analysis by OpenMinds.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
The film deconstructs physical identity, familial bonds and the performative nature of gender and desire – all while its central location teeters on collapse.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
And that’s a shame, because reassurance is what their audiences crave most when the world around them teeters.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
This deepening also has an index in the formal features of his poetry—the ambiguity of his pronouns, the firm particularity of his register of images—which teeters between the mundane and the epiphanic, and renders this imbalance itself into view.
—Elaine L. Wang
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Skinbreaker is set on a primordial world where a tribal society teeters on the brink of collapse.
—Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Thomas Page, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
However, as a geostorm ravages Earth, Athena and Hen’s space mission teeters on the edge.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
Although the film strays drastically from Stephen King's novel, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is a complex film that teeters between the psychological and supernatural horror subgenres.
—Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
As the Russian economy teeters due to sanctions, high inflation and dwindling growth, the offer of high salaries to entice troops has given way to encouraging Russians to join by downplaying the risk of going to war, according to the analysis by OpenMinds.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
The film deconstructs physical identity, familial bonds and the performative nature of gender and desire – all while its central location teeters on collapse.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
And that’s a shame, because reassurance is what their audiences crave most when the world around them teeters.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
This deepening also has an index in the formal features of his poetry—the ambiguity of his pronouns, the firm particularity of his register of images—which teeters between the mundane and the epiphanic, and renders this imbalance itself into view.
—Elaine L. Wang
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Skinbreaker is set on a primordial world where a tribal society teeters on the brink of collapse.
—Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teeters
Verb
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Her certainty falters as the light from the mothership dims, the last traces of the hive connection dying above them.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Continue reading … SHAKEY TRUCE – Israeli soldiers killed in attack as ceasefire with Hamas briefly falters and resumes.—
,
FOXNews.com,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The logistical feat those intrepid women accomplished staggers the mind of any contemporary author.—
Adrian Miller,
Southern Living,
28 Oct. 2025
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For his part, Gonzalez staggers outside and falls to his knees.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the final scene, Lee hesitates for a moment before letting Stella choose.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
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If the alliance hesitates, Putin will see weakness and press harder.—
David A. Deptula,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The tone wobbles between genuine dread and a kind of earnest, slightly campy nostalgia reminiscent of Stand by Me.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
22 Oct. 2025
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Real video wobbles slightly with the person holding the phone.—
Jennifer Jolly,
USA Today,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Despite that notable change, watching One Battle After Another is much like the experience of reading Pynchon, who lurches from high comedy to stomach-turning naturalism and punctuates plot-heavy sequences with little grace notes of character portraiture.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
24 Sep. 2025
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That film begins with charismatic bank robber Ryan Gosling in a thrilling motorcycle escape from the cops, and moves through several twists and turns, lurches forward in time, and holds Gosling at its heart as a man doing bad things for good reasons.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Pearl, Dale’s adult daughter, vacillates between disbelieving that her father committed suicide and blaming her mother for it.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
24 Sep. 2025
-
The opening Allegro vacillates between punchy jabs and fluttery gaiety.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Bethenny Frankel rocks a baby blue dress at the RoC Skincare Lip Volumizer Pop Up Event in Los Angeles.—
Lex Goldstein,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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Rudy rocks it as Frankenstein Tiny tot Rudy rocked a green-and-black Frankenstein hat and jacket, which cost around $20.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Teeters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teeters. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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