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Synonyms

teeter

American  
[tee-ter] / ˈti tər /

verb (used without object)

  1. to move unsteadily.

  2. to ride a seesaw; teetertotter.

verb (used with object)

  1. to tip (something) up and down; move unsteadily.

noun

  1. a seesaw motion; wobble.

  2. a seesaw; teetertotter.

teeter British  
/ ˈtiːtə /

verb

  1. to move or cause to move unsteadily; wobble

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. another word for seesaw

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of teeter

1835–45; variant of dial. titter, Middle English titeren < Old Norse titra tremble; cognate with German zittern to tremble, quiver

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.

At stake in any investigation is whether Syria will be able to turn the page on the civil war, or whether it will teeter back into violence.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 19, 2025

If it can’t get payments from tenants quickly enough to cover its debt needs, the company’s business model could teeter.

From Barron's • Sep. 30, 2025

Until vaccination rates improve, we’ll teeter on the edge with this disease.

From Slate • Apr. 24, 2025

I teeter back and forth, but my diet is really clean now.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2024

Dragonwings seemed to teeter for a moment, balancing on the very edge of the hillside.

From "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.