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
Favorability has teetered between 30% and 42% since the start of Trump’s first term in 2017.
—
Kate Linderman, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2025
Eventually, after rolling around and teetering on the edge for more than 10 seconds, Smalley’s ball dropped into water to the dismay of all those watching – and the 28-year-old himself.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
Driving Refiners Out of the State California’s refining industry is already teetering on the edge, with several facilities having closed or converted to renewable operations in recent years due to regulatory pressures and high operating costs.
—George Peppas, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2025
Vincent Alban | Reuters Technology stocks teetered in volatile trading Monday as President Donald Trump stood by his sweeping global tariff plans following last week’s devastating sell-off.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for teeter
Kate Linderman, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2025
Eventually, after rolling around and teetering on the edge for more than 10 seconds, Smalley’s ball dropped into water to the dismay of all those watching – and the 28-year-old himself.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
Driving Refiners Out of the State California’s refining industry is already teetering on the edge, with several facilities having closed or converted to renewable operations in recent years due to regulatory pressures and high operating costs.
—George Peppas, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2025
Vincent Alban | Reuters Technology stocks teetered in volatile trading Monday as President Donald Trump stood by his sweeping global tariff plans following last week’s devastating sell-off.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for teeter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teeter
Verb
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If the book falters, the production numbers – some based on famous Marilyn images and tropes, like the Seven Year Itch‘s subway grate scene, and the Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend bit – are suitably flashy.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
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Over that lengthy span, the set has rarely faltered.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The law staggers the commissioners’ five-year terms so the president may appoint a new member annually.—
Zach Schonfeld,
The Hill,
9 Apr. 2025
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In March, 1945, as the war staggered to a close, some two hundred Hungarian Jewish forced laborers were executed near Rechnitz.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This creates bottlenecks, where employees hesitate to act without approval.—
Carlos Hoyos,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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Inside Space Force: Here's What the New Agency Does To be sure, some countries may hesitate to align civilian space activities with a military alliance.—
Andrew Hanna,
Time,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Spurs also thrashed City 4-0 at the Etihad in the league back when Pep Guardiola’s defending champions were starting to wobble but were still second in the table.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
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Taiwan has accidentally undermined its security in its attempt to remain central to American policy and international energy dynamics and is wobbling on the tightrope.—
Wesley Alexander Hill,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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My stomach dropped as my seat lurched backwards, pointing me towards the shoreline.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
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As the war lurched into its fourth year, Russian losses of tanks, fighting vehicles and other heavy equipment had exceeded 20,000, according to the analysts at the Oryx intelligence collective, which confirms each loss with imagery from the front line.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Val, which premiered at Cannes Film Festival, is a genuinely surprising and strange movie that vacillates between emotional extremes at an almost minute-by-minute pace.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
2 Apr. 2025
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Yes, but: The bird flu outbreak has vacillated in the last three years and could quickly spike again.—
Axios,
Axios,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Cursor no longer trembles when building pavement and moving the camera in the Hideout building mode.—
Oliver Brandt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
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The clip shows the small dog trembling in the passenger seat of Shae's car, looking very weary and wide-eyed.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Through a popular uprising and a long and hideous civil war, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime tottered at times, but held on, propped up by allies Russia and Iran.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2025
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Buruma has much to say about the shifting sands of loyalties as the Nazi and Japanese empires collapsed and the dominions of the old European imperialist powers tottered.—
Max Hastings,
Foreign Affairs,
15 Oct. 2013
Cite this Entry
“Teeter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teeter. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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