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
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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
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3
as in hesitates
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 teeters
Shropshire’s Marley teeters on the edge of a hole in the floor.
—
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Dec. 2024
When this happens, often the characters in question are based on real people for whom the actors have adopted a reverential mimicry that teeters on possession on and off set.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2024
President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Wednesday for the first time in several weeks as the Middle East teeters on the brink of an all-out conflict.
—Mike Brest, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 9 Oct. 2024
As a single market, China teeters between Roche Bobois‘ third and fifth top markets.
—Sofia Celeste, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019
The world’s gotten a lot more dangerous in the last few days as the dockworkers’ strike threatens to hike the likes of grocery prices and the Mideast teeters on the brink of widespread warfare.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2024
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Dec. 2024
When this happens, often the characters in question are based on real people for whom the actors have adopted a reverential mimicry that teeters on possession on and off set.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2024
President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Wednesday for the first time in several weeks as the Middle East teeters on the brink of an all-out conflict.
—Mike Brest, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 9 Oct. 2024
As a single market, China teeters between Roche Bobois‘ third and fifth top markets.
—Sofia Celeste, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019
The world’s gotten a lot more dangerous in the last few days as the dockworkers’ strike threatens to hike the likes of grocery prices and the Mideast teeters on the brink of widespread warfare.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Teeters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teeters. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.
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