1
as in unsteady
not being in or able to maintain a state of balance
the minute we put the books down on the unstable desk, the whole stack went crashing to the floor
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in volatile
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
financial investors don't like an unstable economy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in changing
not staying constant
unstable temperatures are not ideal storage conditions for wine
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unstable
Our national defense infrastructure, like our nuclear arsenal — which is unstable without scientists to monitor it.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2025
Great powers cannot solve every problem, and a more unstable and dangerous world awaits if their leaders start to think otherwise.
—G. John Ikenberry, Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2025
On the flip side, the cushy, rocker-bottom shoe that makes your miles feel oh-so-smooth can leave you wobbly and unstable in the weight room.
—Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 11 Mar. 2025
Our dependence on oil puts countless service members’ lives at risk and reinforces our reliance on a volatile and unstable global market with the potential to devastate the U.S. economy.
—James Brock, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unstable
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2025
Great powers cannot solve every problem, and a more unstable and dangerous world awaits if their leaders start to think otherwise.
—G. John Ikenberry, Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2025
On the flip side, the cushy, rocker-bottom shoe that makes your miles feel oh-so-smooth can leave you wobbly and unstable in the weight room.
—Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 11 Mar. 2025
Our dependence on oil puts countless service members’ lives at risk and reinforces our reliance on a volatile and unstable global market with the potential to devastate the U.S. economy.
—James Brock, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unstable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unstable
Adjective
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Mike Conroy, executive director at The Economic Co., said that has become common throughout the Bay Area in which rising costs and a more unsteady business environment have prompted development projects to switch gears.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
28 Mar. 2025
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Set during a tumultuous summer in Lima in 1992, Reinas chronicles the unsteady reunion between a father and his two daughters.—
Scott Roxborough,
The Hollywood Reporter,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In Haiti, there hasn’t been a general election in nearly a decade; more than a million have been displaced by armed gang violence and the country’s volatile capital is on the verge of collapse.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
22 Mar. 2025
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Meanwhile, a volatile stock market is compounded by fears of higher inflation amid a national consumer base losing confidence in their own economy.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Granted that a 1 degree Celsius change in world average temperature can translate into a 4-degree Celsius increase in some of the most climate precarious countries, this last scenario is frightening.—
Mike O'Sullivan,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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Against an unstable, precarious world, designers forged ahead making clothes for future versions of us—six months into the future, but into the future nonetheless.—
Laia Garcia-Furtado,
Vogue,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Of course, politics is unpredictable, and his message could, in theory, have more resonance with Democratic primary voters this time around.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2025
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Towards the end of the first decade of the century, the Nike Total 90 range was incredibly unpredictable in the air.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Nationally, learning loss recovery has been slow and uneven, especially among students of color, Axios' Russell Contreras reported.—
Chrissy Suttles,
Axios,
21 Mar. 2025
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The debut season also followed journeyman quarterback Marcus Mariota's uneven run with the Atlanta Falcons.—
Chantz Martin,
Fox News,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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After a somewhat rocky relationship with the mayor, Chief Recovery Officer Steve Soboroff does not appear to be continuing past his initial 90-day contract.—
Julia Wick,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Mar. 2025
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The soil around your foundation may be sandy or rocky, so set plants far enough so the roots can reach good soil and capture nutrients.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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There is something subtly unbalanced about how the perspective of the staircase has been delineated.—
Barry Schwabsky,
Artforum,
1 Apr. 2025
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Unlike IPAs, which lean into unbalanced territory, APAs remain nicely balanced, and so any American pale ale will do, although the original is still pretty darn good.—
Jay R. Brooks,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unstable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unstable. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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