TEETERED Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

teetered

verb

past tense of teeter

as in faltered

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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as in lurched

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 hesitated

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 teetered 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 Our family teetered on the cusp of something ragged and broken. — Raj Panjabi, Time, 13 Oct. 2026 The Montgomery hospital had teetered on the edge of closure this summer before the agreement to keep it operating. — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 16 Sep. 2026 While Berlin’s Tuttle teetered on the verge of being fired by the German government, which funds 40% of the event, Barbera came out of last year’s political polemics on the Lido unscathed. — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026 The news shocked scientists and engineers across NASA missions, who were suddenly dealt a dose of uncertainty as their job security teetered in political limbo. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 27 Aug. 2026 Lucarelli’s command teetered as the game lagged on the MacBook. — Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 20 Aug. 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 Debris was strewn around his neighborhood and a neighbor’s shed teetered over a washed-away section of the property. — Jesse Bedayn, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for teetered

Verb

Both stocks faltered even though the full data which was released Thursday appeared meaningful for patients and positive relative to Wall Street expectations.

— Paulina Likos, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
The Giants hope the more mobile McCarthy can spark a struggling running game that has faltered with Winston at quarterback.

— Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of faltered

Verb

The insurrection drew immediate and obvious parallels to the United States, which, during much of the past decade, has lurched alongside Brazil through a strange hall of mirrors.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026
And there was a frenzy as one man, grimacing and sweating, lurched along pulling a truck with a rope.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of lurched

Verb

While its lawyers have not hesitated to send cease-and-desist letters to AI companies, Disney is among the big media companies looking for ways to get in the AI game and profit from its boom.

— Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Teammates excitedly jumped off the bench, then hesitated when Thiero’s right knee appeared to buckle awkwardly under him.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of hesitated

Verb

Spoelstra staggered Adebayo and Antetokounmpo’s minutes with these bench lineups.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
However, data from Agence France Tresor shows that the average maturity of French debt stands at roughly 8 years and 158 days, with debt redemptions relatively well staggered.

— , CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of staggered

Verb

Risch initially shook the challenger’s hand, then pulled back and brushed past him.

— Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 27 Oct. 2026
But Todd Golden’s squad shook off a sluggish first half, quickly turned a two-point halftime lead into a double-digit advantage and kept the Hatters at bay during an 85-68 win Tuesday night in the O’Connell Center.

— Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of shook

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 tottered

Verb

While protests in France have claimed most international attention, large demonstrations rocked many European cities Saturday from Milan to Madrid, Lisbon to Tirana.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 24 Oct. 2026
While protests in France have claimed most international attention, Milan is among the many other European cities, from Tirana in Albania to Madrid in Spain, that are rocked by protests Saturday.

— Colleen Barry, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of rocked

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teeter

teetered

teetering

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“Teetered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teetered. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of teetered

verb

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