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
Everything teeters on the verge of going bad, and weekend plans often get in the way of cooking through them.
—
Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 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
April 25th is Independent Bookstore Day, and many of us readers honor and celebrate it by making pilgrimages to our favorite local shops to add more books to our already teetering TBRs.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
Its path to passage has teetered all week in a familiar fight, as lawmakers weigh civil liberties concerns against intelligence officials’ warnings about national security risks.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for teeter
Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 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
April 25th is Independent Bookstore Day, and many of us readers honor and celebrate it by making pilgrimages to our favorite local shops to add more books to our already teetering TBRs.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
Its path to passage has teetered all week in a familiar fight, as lawmakers weigh civil liberties concerns against intelligence officials’ warnings about national security risks.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for teeter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teeter
Verb
-
Sheehan responded by turning in his best performance of the season, but the bullpen faltered in the Dodgers’ 6-4 loss to the red-hot Cubs, who won their 10th in a row.—
Michael Huntley,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
-
And the pitching and defense had faltered in key situations.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Together the strangers slung Haridasse's arms over their shoulders and staggered to the finish line as a trio.—
Scott Simon,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The bill, which passed with bipartisan support, addressed concerns about giving one party too much power by staggering the new authorizations out over a 0-year period.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That qualifies as a bold move in an era when legendary and up-and-coming artists alike often hesitate to perform even one or two songs from their latest albums — the better to avoid an exodus of attendees making a beeline for refreshments, restrooms or the merch booths.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
At the same time, what is happening right now should not undermine confidence in hospice care or cause patients and families in California and across the country to hesitate when considering it.—
Tom Koutsoumpas,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Now, though, the wheels are starting to wobble.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Upon your arrival, staffers on the ground floor usher you into elevators that whisk you up 55 stories, the doors opening to knee-wobbling views of the city and the Singapore Strait.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Wembanyama lurched forward, toppled and slammed the right side of his face on the floor.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
-
When robots lurched, slipped, and occasionally froze mid-stride at the 2026 Beijing half-marathon on April 19, the internet quickly turned the spectacle into a meme.—
Ni Tao,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The status of further peace talks and other key details of the current relationship between the warring powers have grown increasingly opaque, with Trump vacillating between resuming saber-rattling rhetoric and indicating Washington’s readiness for additional negotiations with Iran.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Barron vacillated between playing deep in situational dime packages, fitting run gaps as a veritable off-ball linebacker in big-nickel packages, covering tight ends man-to-man, and even started a game at safety.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This level of exercise includes shoulder stabilization through a downward dog series, the core engaged in boat pose, and legs that work hard enough to tremble during chair pose.—
William Jones,
Ascend Agency,
13 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Models are tottering on the cobblestoned Bond Street with their heels getting stuck in the rivets.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
-
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 1 May. 2026.
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