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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of teeter
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
Pulled straight out of Ireland and dropped onto 14th Street, Grace’s boasts dim candlelight, brotherly bartenders, and a leveled grit that leaves you teetering between kicking off a folk song or dragging from a cigarette from a stranger outside.
—Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026
The crushing amount of what was owed was so dire that the city teetered on the brink of bankruptcy and its debt was downgraded to junk.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for teeter
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
Pulled straight out of Ireland and dropped onto 14th Street, Grace’s boasts dim candlelight, brotherly bartenders, and a leveled grit that leaves you teetering between kicking off a folk song or dragging from a cigarette from a stranger outside.
—Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026
The crushing amount of what was owed was so dire that the city teetered on the brink of bankruptcy and its debt was downgraded to junk.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for teeter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teeter
Verb
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Washington led 111-106 with 6 1/2 minutes remaining, but the Wizards defense faltered after that.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Iran and the United States hardened their positions as a diplomatic push for a ceasefire in the Middle East war appeared to falter on Thursday.—
Jon Gambrell,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Plus, the Herro and Powell minutes likely will continue to be as staggered as when one started and one played in reserve, with Herro subbed out midway through Wednesday night’s first quarter.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
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He looks staggered at first, then disgusted, and, finally, proud.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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From coordinating painting, flooring and cabinet removal to troubleshooting daily obstacles during the summer, Higman answered every call, provided solutions and never hesitated to step in, according to Filamor.—
Cyril A. Reinicke,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
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Alvarez, seeing his pitcher hesitate, tapped his helmet for a challenge.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The show continually wobbles between these two poles.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
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This is a man who shows up at a bank with two dubious associates — the glowering, hair-trigger Sal (Moss-Bachrach) and, until his stomach gives out, the wobbling hot mess Ray-Ray (Christopher Sears) — and a bunch of guns.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The leftward lurch could cost Republicans control of Congress for the president’s final two years in office.—
Steve Peoples,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Since then, the larger culture has lurched rightward, with big corporations abandoning progressive signaling in favor of…other priorities.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Trump has been more active than ever on social media in his second term, including posting lengthy all-caps screeds offering vacillating updates on the war.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
30 Mar. 2026
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Trump has vacillated between indifference and contempt for the USMCA, at times threatening to pull out of the agreement altogether and work instead to negotiate two separate, bilateral deals with Mexico and Canada.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The kind of person who trembles at watermarks is not the sort of person who’s putting marble in the dishwasher.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
19 Mar. 2026
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One man described how, before fleeing home in Tehran, explosions made his 6½-year-old son tremble in fear.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Models are tottering on the cobblestoned Bond Street with their heels getting stuck in the rivets.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
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Now, even that tiny effort is tottering.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Teeter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teeter. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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