1
as in to falter
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
Relevance
2
as in to stagger
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 to hesitate
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 teeter
With these teetering burgers, there’s little need for sides.
—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
Several holes, including the 13th, the site of Mickelson’s bizarre ruling, teetered on the edge of unplayable, according to players.
—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
16 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 story teeters on implausibility in turn after turn.
—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for teeter
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
Several holes, including the 13th, the site of Mickelson’s bizarre ruling, teetered on the edge of unplayable, according to players.
—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
16 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 story teeters on implausibility in turn after turn.
—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for teeter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teeter
Verb
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And once performance falters, customers are likely to lose faith in your brand.
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Russell Henley also made a 4-under push on Sunday to finish 10-under, while Cam Young faltered in the final pairing with a 1-over round to finish 10-under as well.
Verb
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Implementation of the program will be staggered, starting in elementary schools in 2030, for Texas’ more than 5 million students – about 10% of the national total.
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Since the notices will be staggered, however, some borrowers may have more time.
Verb
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When King asked if the unnamed celebrity was the one, Brown didn't hesitate.
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The girls don’t hesitate to lay into him either with Trinity, Melanie, and Aniya all coming to Kenzie’s impassioned defense.
Verb
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Instead of rising together whenever markets wobble, Treasurys, gold and the yen are increasingly responding to their own macro fundamentals.
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The plate currently featured front and center, SpaceX, has been wobbling after an underwhelming IPO.
Verb
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Once, somewhere in southern Virginia, Dad performed the customary lurch off the highway in the direction of a promising barbecue counter.
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The same boom-and-bust dependency on the oil industry, whose profits were now funnelled through the regime and its allies, kept the country lurching from one crisis to the next.
Verb
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Legally an adult but still a teenager and finding your footing in the world, vacillating between feeling invincible and feeling minuscule.
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Nanjiani seemed to vacillate between doing what past Taskmaster contestants have done or playing with authenticity, but both approaches left his identity on the show unclear.
Verb
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Back in their dorm room after the beating, Valentine watched as Okeadu began to tremble uncontrollably.
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Each time the leaves trembled, the sunlight filtering through them also wavered.
Verb
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In an accompanying cartoon, Spark is caricatured as a sulking giant, tottering above the Tuscan countryside in a pair of high heels.
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Among them a City boy wearing three Fit-Bit-type devices, two beautiful Middle Eastern sisters, an outrageously pompous elderly American (sorry; eavesdropping), and several Imelda Marcos lookalikes, tottering out of the treatment rooms with, somehow, their elaborate hairstyles still intact.
Cite this Entry
“Teeter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teeter. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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