teeter

1 of 2

verb

tee·​ter ˈtē-tər How to pronounce teeter (audio)
teetered; teetering; teeters

intransitive verb

1
a
: to move unsteadily : wobble
b
: waver, vacillate
teetered on the brink of bankruptcy
2
: seesaw

teeter

2 of 2

noun

Examples of teeter in a Sentence

Verb The pile of books teetered and fell to the floor. She teetered down the street in her high heels.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
For over a month, the national average gas price has been teetering on the edge of dropping below $3 for the first time in three years, according to AAA. Maia Pandey, Journal Sentinel, 12 Dec. 2024 The flooding was so severe that a home teetering on the edge of the riverbank collapsed into the rising waters, images show. Tatiana Tenreyro, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
Shropshire’s Marley teeters on the edge of a hole in the floor. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Dec. 2024 All the while, support from Top Dawg Entertainment, the label that helped launch SZA and Kendrick Lamar, relays a sense that the West Coast hip-hop factory’s latest charge teeters on the verge of her own Ctrl and/or good kid, m.A.A.d. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for teeter 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English titeren to totter, reel; akin to Old High German zittarōn to shiver

First Known Use

Verb

1844, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of teeter was in 1844

Dictionary Entries Near teeter

Cite this Entry

“Teeter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teeter. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

teeter

verb
tee·​ter
ˈtēt-ər
1
a
: to move unsteadily
teetered on the edge and fell over the side
2
teeter noun

More from Merriam-Webster on teeter

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!