teeter

1 of 2

verb

tee·​ter ˈtē-tər How to pronounce teeter (audio)
teetered; teetering; teeters
Synonyms of teeter

intransitive verb

1
a
: to move unsteadily : wobble
b
: waver, vacillate
teetered on the brink of bankruptcy
2
: seesaw

teeter

2 of 2

noun

: seesaw sense 2b

Synonyms of teeter

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Verb

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Examples of teeter in a Sentence

Verb The pile of books teetered and fell to the floor. She teetered down the street in her high heels.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
The past is asserting itself into the present, the future is teetering toward the past, all inside one surreal moment. — Rebekah Taussig, Time, 28 Oct. 2026 In 2008, six days before Barack Obama won the White House, the Fed cut rates by half a percentage point as the financial system teetered. — Aoife Walsh, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Noun
Cliffs teeter at 1,640 feet, before tumbling down in a flurry of vineyards and walking trails to the rushing rivers and gorges of Sil and Miño. — Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026 Over the decades, Cricket and Olympia teeter between friendship and love, their orbits colliding at New York galleries and Paris ateliers before painfully coming apart again. — Air Mail, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for teeter

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English titeren to totter, reel; akin to Old High German zittarōn to shiver

First Known Use

Verb

1843, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of teeter was in 1843

Phrases Containing teeter

Rhymes for teeter

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Browse Nearby Words

teetee
teeter
teeterboard
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Cite this Entry

“Teeter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teeter. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

teeter

verb
tee·​ter
ˈtēt-ər
1
a
: to move unsteadily
teetered on the edge and fell over the side
b
: waver sense 1
2
: seesaw entry 2 sense 2
teeter noun
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