1
as in falters
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 staggers
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 hesitates
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 teeters
In response to my prod, the bot merely teeters.
—
James Vincent, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
The offense teeters on becoming too reliant on the pass.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2025
As a fractured Lebanon teeters on the brink of collapse, their relationship provokes a wave of anger and indignation all around them, forcing them to face the hostility, and to resist.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 18 Dec. 2025
In the present day, humanity teeters on the edge of collapse.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 14 Nov. 2025
The actors do cartwheels along a tightrope to nail the tone, which teeters between dark comedy and tragedy – quintessentially Lanthimos.
—Thomas Page, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
Although the film strays drastically from Stephen King's novel, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is a complex film that teeters between the psychological and supernatural horror subgenres.
—Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
As the Russian economy teeters due to sanctions, high inflation and dwindling growth, the offer of high salaries to entice troops has given way to encouraging Russians to join by downplaying the risk of going to war, according to the analysis by OpenMinds.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
And that’s a shame, because reassurance is what their audiences crave most when the world around them teeters.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teeters
Verb
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Brown is likely a lock unless his usual consistency falters in the long program on Saturday.—
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Even when Cregger holds his mythology deceptively close to the chest, the emotional intrigue never falters in the wake of a mass disappearance that saw more than 30 local children disappear.—
Verb
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Because of the program's size, the Social Security Administration (SSA) staggers payments across the month to keep the system running smoothly.—
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But Roman breaks free, staggers to his feet and appears to wipe his face, apparently from pepper spray.—
Verb
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The Broncos’ wide receivers had four drops in the first half, and BSU failed twice on fourth down when going for it, something Danielson seldom hesitates to do.—
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In the final scene, Lee hesitates for a moment before letting Stella choose.—
Verb
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Over the next two weeks, these shifts could start to be felt in North America, Europe and Asia as the polar vortex weakens and tumbles south, like a spinning top that slows and wobbles off course.—
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And the resulting 35-yard field goal try — a six-inch gimmie putt in the modern NFL — wobbles wide right.—
Verb
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Three seconds later, the Honda crashes into a parked car with such force its tires fly off the street, the pile of cars lurches forward several feet and snow billows.—
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As one officer reaches for the SUV's door handle, the vehicle lurches backward and then begins moving forward, rightward, seemingly away from the officers.—
Verb
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Pearl, Dale’s adult daughter, vacillates between disbelieving that her father committed suicide and blaming her mother for it.—
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The opening Allegro vacillates between punchy jabs and fluttery gaiety.—
Verb
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But The Gilded Age doesn’t do pure villains with its main cast, and Oscar totters between failson and tragic figure, the closeted heir of the Van Rhijn family dragged to hell and back after being defrauded of his mother’s fortune.—
Verb
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The fashion guru typically rocks her tried-and-true ashy blonde, occasionally opting for highlights and/or lowlights.—
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But when a tsunami rocks their island, profound tragedy ensues, and immediately ups the stakes of a brief encounter.—
Cite this Entry
“Teeters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teeters. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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