teeter

Rock back forth

Teeter means to wobble or sway unsteadily, as if about to fall: The vase teetered on the edge of the table.

It extends to precarious situations: The company teetered on the brink of bankruptcy.

A teeter-totter is a seesaw, capturing the back-and-forth motion.

To teeter is to be caught between stability and collapse.

balance

wobble

Unsteady side-to-side motion

  • swayRock back and forth
  • rockSolid earthen material
  • tipEnd or gratuity

lean · falter · unsteady · precarious · unstable · shaky · off-balance · tippy · listing · canted

movement

stagger

Walk unsteadily, sway

  • stumbleLose footing momentarily
  • lurchAbrupt unsteady movement
  • reelWinding cylinder or dance

sway · rock · pitch · roll · bobble · weave · falter · unsteady gait · shuffle · toddle

brink

edge

Boundary or sharpness

threshold · cusp · borderline · rim · ledge · brink · on the edge · tipping point · critical point · knife-edge

uncertainty

hesitate

Pause in uncertainty

fluctuate · oscillate · indecision · torn · ambivalent · undecided · wavering · faltering · hanging in the balance · touch-and-go

physical

seesaw

Pivoting playground plank

pivot · back-and-forth · up-and-down · lever · balance beam · rocking · board · children · recreation

Categories
Opposites
physical stability

teetersteady

Fixed, not fluctuating

stabilize · secure · stand firm · rest · stable

decisiveness/resolution

teeterdecide

Reach a conclusion

commit · make up one's mind · resolve · settle · choose

motion outcome

teeterfall

Descend under gravity

topple · collapse · plunge · advance · proceed

Phrases
Family

teetering, teeter-totter, teetered, teeters

Familiarity
Top 100,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G