TEETERS Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

teeters

verb

present tense third-person singular of teeter

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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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

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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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 teeters But as the region teeters on the brink of a new and dangerous escalation, yet more negative consequences – like the evils that escaped Pandora’s box – could soon be unleashed. —

Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026 The country’s already cratering economy now teeters on the verge of collapse, with vehicles idled by a lack of gas, hospitals forced to cancel surgeries and millions living without a steady supply of electricity and water. —

Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2026 The entire river system now teeters on the brink, and this year’s snow drought may be what pushes it over the edge. —

Jonathan Thompson, Denver Post, 18 Mar. 2026 The district teeters on the edge of insolvency in the face of a mayor and his main backer, the Chicago Teachers Union, staunchly opposed to consolidating any schools even though a third of them are at less than half their student capacity. —

The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026 This style of theater both enlightens and entertains, each actor stepping out of the ensemble inside Kelleher’s direction that teeters on the edge of heavy-handidness without ever getting there. —

David John Chávez, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026 In response to my prod, the bot merely teeters. —

James Vincent, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025 As a fractured Lebanon teeters on the brink of collapse, their relationship provokes a wave of anger and indignation all around them, forcing them to face the hostility, and to resist. —

Leo Barraclough, Variety, 18 Dec. 2025 In the present day, humanity teeters on the edge of collapse. —

Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 14 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for teeters

Verb

As funding falters, the need for city government to step into the shoes of philanthropists like Gund and Lauder becomes even more vital.

— Gale Brewer, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026
If the economy falters, political pressure on the president will build.

— Nancy Cook, Bloomberg, 25 Mar. 2026