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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of teeter
His ability to galvanize a roster that was teetering on the brink of emotional detachment went a long way toward saving a season that was heading toward disappointment.
—
Sam Amick, New York Times, 22 May 2025
The second stage exploded in this huge ball of fire, and then the payload kind of teetered on top of the transporter erector.
—ArsTechnica, 5 May 2025
Abby's world was already teetering from her father's death, and now, after taking Joel's life, her own emotional compass is unraveling.
—Mark Weinstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
The carnival-like, sugar-high atmosphere of the White House exists, of course, against the backdrop of an Administration that is teetering on the edge of defying the Supreme Court.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for teeter
Sam Amick, New York Times, 22 May 2025
The second stage exploded in this huge ball of fire, and then the payload kind of teetered on top of the transporter erector.
—ArsTechnica, 5 May 2025
Abby's world was already teetering from her father's death, and now, after taking Joel's life, her own emotional compass is unraveling.
—Mark Weinstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
The carnival-like, sugar-high atmosphere of the White House exists, of course, against the backdrop of an Administration that is teetering on the edge of defying the Supreme Court.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for teeter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teeter
Verb
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Ocean protection efforts are faltering, with policy talk far outpacing tangible results.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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Doctoring provides powerful tools for getting under the hood, but writing offers ones that dig into the interstitial spaces where our more utilitarian tools falter.—
Danielle Ofri,
New Yorker,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Some implementation of the law was staggered to give industries, including nail technicians, time to adapt.—
Suhauna Hussain,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2025
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The question staggers the mind, and can be answered by Montgomery and Fairfax counties.—
John Tamny,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) hesitated to affirm his support for Schumer’s continued leadership.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
13 June 2025
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As good as the night was against an A’s team that has now lost 22 of 26 games, Soriano hesitated to call it his best.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
11 June 2025
Verb
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This is because a planet's altitude in the sky is dependent in part on the inclination of the ecliptic relative to the horizon, which shifts throughout the year due to Earth's wobbling orbit.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
31 May 2025
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Stocks wobbled on Thursday but ended with a gain, as Wall Street’s embrace of a ruling against President Trump’s trade policy quickly gave way to doubts about its long-term impact.—
Jason Karaian,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
Verb
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Growing panicky, the animal lurched wildly, lost its footing altogether, and fell back toward me and my horse.—
Jim Carmichel,
Outdoor Life,
5 June 2025
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Thereafter, plans for the cemetery lurched back to the Great Park but never successfully held on to momentum.—
Jonathan Horwitz,
Oc Register,
28 May 2025
Verb
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As the hours ticked by on Friday, reactions in Israel vacillated between extremes.—
Ruth Margalit,
New Yorker,
13 June 2025
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Her Astrid is less a hewn warrior, more an uncertain teen, who vacillates between confidence and nervous energy.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
10 June 2025
Verb
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Nearby on the floor, O'Hara trembles and begs for her life.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
1 June 2025
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More recently, Trump announced 50% tariffs on goods from the European Union last Friday, sending investors trembling during the long holiday weekend, before walking back on the decision Sunday evening.—
Lee Ying Shan,Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
29 May 2025
Verb
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Dina Tomczak, the school’s athletic director, tottered into her office having barely slept.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
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The nation is tottering on the edge of dictatorship.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Teeter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teeter. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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