teeter
verb (used without object)
to move unsteadily.
had been teetering
-
past perfect progressiveof teeter.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It had been teetering on the edge of war since 2014.
From Salon ● Feb. 23, 2025
Up to that point, the Dodgers had been teetering on the brink of collapse.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2024
One rock, it turned out, had been teetering in its delicate position for 50,000 years.
From Science Magazine ● Dec. 14, 2023
Even before protests, Yemen had been teetering on the brink of failed statehood.
From Reuters ● Mar. 16, 2011
I had been teetering on that boundary that divides sleep and wakefulness, imagining Papa coming to get us himself, imagining the rage in his red-tinged eyes, the burst of Igbo from his mouth.
From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
