teeter
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to move unsteadily.
-
to ride a seesaw; teetertotter.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a seesaw motion; wobble.
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a seesaw; teetertotter.
verb
noun
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.
Because, with his side teetering - Phil Salt out first ball and England soon 58-4 as they chased 165 to win - Brook stood up like never before.
From BBC
When Annie takes a job at a nightclub in Memphis, she says of its penny-pinching owner: “The man was tight as a skeeter’s teeter.”
From Los Angeles Times
The company has been teetering on the brink of liquidation for weeks and surviving on emergency financing from automotive customers after its lenders declined to put more money in.
There are regularly stories of drivers who end up going through floods, fords and teetering on the edge of canals after following their GPS systems, prompting warnings about the dangers of slavishly following the route.
From BBC
The prime minister's position was teetering a few days ago and the meeting was another attempt to shore up support among his MPs.
From BBC
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.
