as in unstable
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Recent Examples of labile
The mob is aroused and labile; the lumpy cops have no control, over the situation or over themselves.
—
James Parker, The Atlantic, 12 Oct. 2024
Then the therapist could spend several minutes establishing a safe rapport with the patient while waiting for the memory to enter a labile state during the reconsolidation-updating window.
—Bj Casey, Scientific American, 14 May 2024
There was something kinetic, something labile in his air.
—Kevin Barry, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Amid this high level of acting skill, Lindsey stood out with her wonderfully convincing gestures and facial expressions, filling out the character of the more labile younger sister with captivating verisimilitude.
—Jeremy Yudkin, BostonGlobe.com, 17 July 2023
To be labile is to be unstable; in chemistry, a labile substance is easily broken down.
—Maureen Stanton, Longreads, 10 Aug. 2020
On unusually chilly days, these climatically labile folks are 0 for 3.
—Valerie Ross, Discover Magazine, 8 Apr. 2011
The painting, which ostensibly depicts Mary Magdalene in the reveries of devotion, is less spiritual than erotic: her interlaced fingers may be motionless, but her slight smile seems labile, indicating that Artemisia understood a woman’s sensuality from the inside out.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2020
According to the consolidation/reconsolidation hypothesis, recently acquired or reactivated memories are transformed progressively from an initially labile state into a stable form, through a protein-dependent process.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 22 Sep. 2015
James Parker, The Atlantic, 12 Oct. 2024
Then the therapist could spend several minutes establishing a safe rapport with the patient while waiting for the memory to enter a labile state during the reconsolidation-updating window.
—Bj Casey, Scientific American, 14 May 2024
There was something kinetic, something labile in his air.
—Kevin Barry, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Amid this high level of acting skill, Lindsey stood out with her wonderfully convincing gestures and facial expressions, filling out the character of the more labile younger sister with captivating verisimilitude.
—Jeremy Yudkin, BostonGlobe.com, 17 July 2023
To be labile is to be unstable; in chemistry, a labile substance is easily broken down.
—Maureen Stanton, Longreads, 10 Aug. 2020
On unusually chilly days, these climatically labile folks are 0 for 3.
—Valerie Ross, Discover Magazine, 8 Apr. 2011
The painting, which ostensibly depicts Mary Magdalene in the reveries of devotion, is less spiritual than erotic: her interlaced fingers may be motionless, but her slight smile seems labile, indicating that Artemisia understood a woman’s sensuality from the inside out.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2020
According to the consolidation/reconsolidation hypothesis, recently acquired or reactivated memories are transformed progressively from an initially labile state into a stable form, through a protein-dependent process.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 22 Sep. 2015
Recent Examples of Synonyms for labile
Adjective
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Is High in Antioxidants Orange juice is rich in healthy nutrients called antioxidants, compounds that help prevent cell damage from unstable molecules called free radical damage in a process known as oxidative stress.—
Aviv Joshua, MS,
Verywell Health,
11 Feb. 2025
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She had been placed in a four-cell unit with mentally unstable inmates.—
Lawrence Wright,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This versatile light bulb integrates seamlessly with the Alexa, Google, and SmartThing ecosystems and works with a host of other smart home devices using the U home app and IFTTT applets.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
15 Feb. 2025
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The versatile wardrobe essential can be dressed up with black boots or down with canvas sneakers.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
People.com,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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On paper, Bridget can be compellingly hard to pin down, inconstant and ironic, messily self-aware, undeniably human.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2025
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The key finding is that as the distance grows greater, the coupling stops growing, and the inconstant constant becomes constant once more.—
Stanley J. Brodsky,
Scientific American,
16 Apr. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near labile
Cite this Entry
“Labile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labile. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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