1
: an alternating up-and-down or backward-and-forward motion or movement
also
: a contest or struggle in which now one side now the other has the lead
2
a
: a pastime in which two children or groups of children ride on opposite ends of a plank balanced in the middle so that one end goes up as the other goes down
b
: the plank or apparatus so used
seesaw
adjective
seesawed; seesawing; seesaws
1
a
: to move backward and forward or up and down
b
: to play at seesaw
2
: alternate
seesaw between two activities
: to cause to move in seesaw fashion
Synonyms
Examples of seesaw in a Sentence
Noun
Their relationship was an emotional seesaw.
Verb
The lead seesawed between the two runners right up to the finish line.
as their boat seesawed in the rough water, the rescue team tried to get the passengers off the sinking ship
Recent Examples on the Web
Erica Sloan, SELF, 25 July 2024
Its 14 wooded acres are peppered with tall, skinny pines and vestiges of its past life: a creaky seesaw here, a tetherball pole there.
—Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 July 2024
Max Zahn, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2024
The focus instead was on struggles at Boeing and Airbus to ramp up airplane production while battling a hangover from the pandemic that was marked by seesawing output.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 30 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for seesaw 
Noun
Read on to learn how the vicious constipation-diarrhea cycle typically starts, and how to get yourself off the GI seesaw.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 25 July 2024
Its 14 wooded acres are peppered with tall, skinny pines and vestiges of its past life: a creaky seesaw here, a tetherball pole there.
—Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 July 2024
Verb
Stock prices worldwide seesawed dramatically this week, forcing investors to keep up with sudden turns in the market and weather fears of an economic slowdown.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2024
The focus instead was on struggles at Boeing and Airbus to ramp up airplane production while battling a hangover from the pandemic that was marked by seesawing output.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 30 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for seesaw
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'seesaw.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Cite this Entry
“Seesaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seesaw. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
seesaw
1 of 2 noun
see·saw
ˈsē-ˌsȯ 
1
a
: an up-and-down or backward-and-forward motion or movement
b
: a contest or struggle in which now one side now the other has the lead
2
a
: a game in which two children or groups of children ride on opposite ends of a plank balanced in the middle so that one end goes up as the other goes down
b
: the plank used in the game of seesaw
seesaw
adjective
seesaw
2 of 2 verb
seesawed; seesawing
1
: to move like a seesaw
2
: to play on a seesaw
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