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 Congressional intervention teeters on the coordination of Big Ten and SEC presidents with lawmakers in Washington. — Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 30 July 2026 This metallic copper polish teeters the line between summer and fall perfectly, giving nails a warm glow. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 29 July 2026 The new series teeters on a bipartisan ledge, carefully including conversations with political figures like former vice presidents Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, Al Gore; former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Republican Senator Ted Cruz. — Kalia Richardson, USA Today, 24 June 2026 The story teeters on implausibility in turn after turn. — Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 9 June 2026 There's an undeniable allure to the pale yellow shade, a saccharine hue that teeters the line on both mellow and bright. — Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 28 May 2026 Alongside organist Ståle Storløkken and drummer Ole Mofjell, the Hedvig Mollestad Weejuns (the third word a slang term for Norwegians) form a groove that teeters toward explosiveness without ever reaching it. — Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 24 Apr. 2026 For the first time ever my weight now teeters at the tippy, tippy top of that green zone. — Petra Guglielmetti, Glamour, 16 Apr. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for teeters

Verb

As in the span of control example Painter shared, as soon as one of these elements falters, the whole system is threatened.

— Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
While the federal government remains indispensable in public health, these state-level collaborations demonstrated that regional governance can emerge quickly when national leadership falters.

— John Eger, Mercury News, 17 July 2026

Definition of falters

Verb

Steely and deliberate songwriting that casually staggers down the line between rhythm and melody, laced with loose yet conscious jams.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 June 2026
Like many Florida school districts, OCPS staggers start times to most efficiently use its school buses and drivers.

— Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026

Definition of staggers

Verb

Put plainly, the body that watches over the global financial system, chaired by the governor of the Bank of England, is saying the prices these funds report rest partly on judgment, and that the judgment wobbles precisely when it is tested.

— Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026
Sketch a plan for practice, then show up even if motivation wobbles.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 6 Apr. 2026

Definition of wobbles

Verb

The film unhurriedly lurches from one markedly similar fight scene to the next, with only Skeletor’s occasional injections of ripe innuendo to liven them up a bit.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 2 June 2026
By the end, Noonan’s film stops feeling like a first date and starts to resemble the makings of a crime scene as his mood lurches toward something dangerous.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 May 2026

Definition of lurches

Verb

This is someone who vacillates between different ways of being.

— Hunter Ingram, Variety, 1 Aug. 2026
The characters have little time to make life-or-death decisions, let alone ruminate, and the action vacillates between triage and doctors expertly improvising solutions — like Mel (Taylor Dearden) donating her own blood, and Javadi (Shabana Azeez) going MacGyver mode with a tracheal tube.

— EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026

Definition of vacillates

Verb

Keanu Reeves rocks an all-black look at the premiere of Madwoman’s Game at the Chicano Hollywood Film Festival on July 30 in Pomona, California.

— People Staff, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
But back inside, this M5 Pro MacBook rocks 24GB of unified memory and a 2TB SSD for all your files, programs, and work.

— Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 29 July 2026

Definition of rocks

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teetering

teeters

teeth

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“Teeters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teeters. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of teeters

verb

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