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 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 After a strong start to the tournament, the reigning champions teetered on the brink of elimination throughout the knockout stage, trailing Egypt and England until the closing stages, needing extra time to overcome Cape Verde and Switzerland. — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 20 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 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 And although their brand of comedy teetered on the absurd, the Duncans eventually became about as familiar as the Matthews. — Christian Holub, Entertainment Weekly, 21 June 2026 Labour has teetered on the edge of one for weeks after those disastrous local election results, and only Burnham’s inability to run before now seems to have delayed one. — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 20 June 2026 Cuba has teetered on the verge of a humanitarian collapse but came close to reaching a deal with the United States in March, as first reported by USA TODAY. — Rick Jervis, USA Today, 13 May 2026 The vast majority of Sacramento’s homeless population are Sacramentans who were our next-door neighbors, who teetered on the edge of poverty until falling off a financial cliff into homelessness. — Robin Epley, Sacbee.com, 13 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for teetered

Verb

But their turnout in Broward, the state’s last big remaining Democratic stronghold, faltered.

— Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026
Summary The Philadelphia Phillies' 2026 season hopes for their back-end rotation and bullpen have faltered, prompting a search for pitching upgrades.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of faltered

Verb

Incumbents hesitated, but young and diverse civic-minded men and women jumped at a chance to compete on a level playing field for state offices.

— Elona Vaisnys, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2026
When Kimmel hesitated when guessing Spaghetti & Meatball, Affleck and Ding called upon Ding’s trivia partner Stephen Morrison, who opted not to answer.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2026

Definition of hesitated

Verb

The structure beneath Klopp wobbled, and Liverpool bounced between sporting directors — one of whom, Jorg Schmadtke, Klopp was allowed to source himself.

— James Pearce, New York Times, 15 July 2026
Healthcare is a classic defensive sector, so as the AI trade wobbled and investors booked profits in first-half winners, more money flowed in the direction of companies like J & J, Cardinal and our other Club healthcare name Eli Lilly .

— Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 14 July 2026

Definition of wobbled

Verb

When the chute opened, Paper Cut thrashed across the arena until, at the sound of the buzzer, Jacobson launched himself off the animal and staggered away, his chaps flapping.

— Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Another argument favors sacrificing the long summer break for more frequent shorter breaks staggered throughout the school year.

— Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of staggered

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

First, Babar Azam, recently reappointed as captain, rocked on to his back foot and deposited the hosts’ Jomel Warrican over long on and into the stand at the Queen’s Park Oval for six.

— Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Fenix rocked El Fiscal with big kicks followed by a moonsault for a nearfall.

— Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 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 24 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of teetered

verb

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