TEETER Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

teeter

verb

ˈtē-tər

Definition of teeter

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

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

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

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.

Recent Examples of teeter Babylon 5 followed the diplomats, soldiers, and drifters aboard the station, built as neutral ground between humans and a handful of alien civilizations teetering on the edge of war. — Jp Mangalindan, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Aug. 2026 This metallic copper polish teeters the line between summer and fall perfectly, giving nails a warm glow. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 29 July 2026 When Culp took the helm in 2018, the colossal conglomerate that Jack Welch built into the most valuable and admired enterprise in America teetered on the brink of collapse. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 23 July 2026 And after a season that has teetered between disappointing and disastrous, maybe dreaming is exactly what this franchise needs. — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for teeter

Recent Examples of Synonyms for teeter

Verb

In the rest of the state, Graham prevailed — including in the Charleston area, where former governor and congressman Mark Sanford endorsed Norman after his own Senate campaign faltered.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026
The same list of conditions is relevant to the debates about our faltering literacy.

— Christopher Coffman, The Conversation, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of falter

Verb

The funding document stated that the funding would be staggered and tied to different stages of the project, such as the official announcement of filming in Madrid, the start of shooting, and that Madrid had to appear in the film’s title.

— Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026
Darwin, by then forty-nine and not in the greatest health, was staggered.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of stagger

Verb

Changing the clock gets complicated There are reasons school districts that accept the science on adolescent sleep still hesitate to change their schedules.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 25 Aug. 2026
Though her books continue to be adapted into movies and recurring series, Moriarty has always hesitated to write a sequel.

— Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of hesitate

Verb

The ball wobbled, but Fields got underneath it for about a 40-yard catch.

— Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026
The thunder sound was a combination of wobbling window of shades of the ’40s to achieve that old school thunder sound that was layered in with some newer thunderclap sounds.

— Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of wobble

Verb

Maresca, though, does not appear to have much taste for the Premier League’s lurch towards balls into the box.

— Sam Lee, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
The United States, which had been lurching toward entry in the Second World War, was suddenly and inescapably thrust into global conflict.

— Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of lurch

Verb

Then there are the fragmented attention spans birthed by our dearly beloved screens, which cultivate a kind of cognitive whiplash that vacillates between amnesia and yearning for more.

— Christopher Coffman, The Conversation, 24 Aug. 2026
Ellison and his executives have vacillated from anger to acceptance.

— Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of vacillate

Verb

Like a lot of us who tottered into consciousness in the second half of the 20th century, Les Claypool grew up with cartoons from the family television beaming into his retinas.

— Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 2 Aug. 2026
Outside, a gull tottered to the window and tapped its beak against the glass.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026

Definition of totter

Browse Nearby Words

tees off

teeter

teetered

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Style

“Teeter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teeter. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of teeter

verb

Example Sentences

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