destabilize

verb

de·​sta·​bi·​lize (ˌ)dē-ˈstā-bə-ˌlīz How to pronounce destabilize (audio)
destabilized; destabilizing; destabilizes

transitive verb

1
: to make unstable
2
: to cause (something, such as a government) to be incapable of functioning or surviving

Examples of destabilize in a Sentence

The group hoped the assassination of the new President would destabilize the government. Economists warn that the crisis could destabilize the nation's currency.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Hallucinations taken as prophecy, destabilized on a middling journey to outpace, to open-chase, to claim supremacy, to reign indefinitely, haste and paste control altering deletion, unstable desire remains undefeated. John Werner, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025 In South Africa, for example, there were worries that immediate prosecutions of human rights violations under apartheid would destabilize the transition; as a result, the country established its Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which sought to balance justice with maintaining peace. Patrick Vinck, Foreign Affairs, 4 Mar. 2025 Enrich’s bureau also warned that the foreign aid cuts will destabilize entire regions around the globe. Brett Murphy, ProPublica, 3 Mar. 2025 Like Luna, Kite is participating directly in a system of cultural recording, but her refusal to legibly encode or concretize her scores for the mainstream destabilizes the ethnographic gaze and its desire to document, categorize, and control Indigenous culture, language, and bodies. Christopher T. Green, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for destabilize

Word History

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of destabilize was in 1924

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Cite this Entry

“Destabilize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destabilize. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

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