seesaw

American  

[see-saw] / ˈsiˌsɔ /

noun

1. a recreation in which two children alternately ride up and down while seated at opposite ends of a plank balanced at the middle.

2. a plank or apparatus for this recreation.

3. an up-and-down or a back-and-forth movement or procedure.

4. Whist. a crossruff.

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adjective

1. moving up and down, back and forth, or alternately ahead and behind.

   It was a seesaw game with the lead changing hands many times.

verb (used without object)

seesaws, present (3rd person singular) seesawed, past participle, past seesawing present participle

1. to move in a seesaw manner.

   The boat seesawed in the heavy sea.

2. to ride or play on a seesaw.

3. to keep changing one's decision, opinion, or attitude; vacillate.

verb (used with object)

seesaws, present (3rd person singular) seesawed, past participle, past seesawing present participle

1. to cause to move in a seesaw manner.

seesaw British  

/ ˈsiːˌsɔː /

noun

1. a plank balanced in the middle so that two people seated on the ends can ride up and down by pushing on the ground with their feet

2. the pastime of riding up and down on a seesaw

3. 1. an up-and-down or back-and-forth movement

   2. ( as modifier )

      a seesaw movement

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verb

1. (intr) to move up and down or back and forth in such a manner; oscillate

Regionalisms

Although seesaw (def. 2) is the most widely used term in the U.S., teetertotter is also in wide use in the Northern, North Midland, and Western regions. Tilting board and its variants tilt board and tiltering board are New Eng. terms, especially Eastern New Eng., while tinter and its variant teenter are associated with Western New Eng.

Other Word Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has seesawed
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have seesawed
  perfect
• seesawing
  participle
• seesaws
  singular 3rd person
• am seesawing
  progressive 1st person singular
• is seesawing
  progressive 3rd person singular
• have been seesawing
  perfect progressive
• has been seesawing
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• are seesawing
  progressive

Past

• had seesawed
  perfect
• seesawed
  simple
• seesawed
  participle
• was seesawing
  progressive singular
• had been seesawing
  perfect progressive
• were seesawing
  progressive plural

Future

• will seesaw
  simple
• will have seesawed
  perfect
• will have been seesawing
  perfect progressive
• will be seesawing
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of seesaw

1630–40 as part of a jingle accompanying a children's game; gradational compound based on saw ¹

Explanation

A seesaw is a piece of playground equipment made of a board balanced on a center support. To play on a seesaw, you sit on one end with a friend on the other end, moving up and down. You might also call a seesaw a teeter-totter — they are common in parks and on school playgrounds. When you sit on a seesaw, with your friend on the opposite side, each of you takes turns pushing up off the ground. When you go up into the air, your friend touches the ground, and when your friend goes up, you go down. Seesaw comes from the French ci-ça, or "this-that."

Example Sentences

“Right now, there’s just this very delicate seesaw sitting and neither side is really rising to the top,” said Shari Hensrud, chief investment officer at MissionSquare.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

All this during a rather seesaw start of the year for Netflix investors.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

Goals from Faisal Bangal, Geny Catamo and Diogo Calila won a seesaw struggle for the Mozambicans, who led 2-1 at half-time.

From Barron's • Dec. 28, 2025

On the other side of that seesaw expectantly sits his daughter’s faith in him.

From Salon • Sep. 23, 2025

In his relations with her he felt that he was riding a seesaw; never were they on a common level; either he or she was up in the air.

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright

Related Words

• fluctuate
• teeter
• vacillate
• waver