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
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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
The ecosystem remains unstable in spite of investments and the introduction of new tools.
—
Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
The office administers billions of dollars in grants to support low- and moderate-income people, including funding for affordable housing, homeless shelters and disaster recovery, raising the prospect that these forms of aid might one day be paid in an unstable currency.
—Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 2 Apr. 2025
Tesla is facing continued pressure both financially and culturally, and for many of its top competitors, its space in the car market looks unstable.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
This unstable dwelling, with its crumbling walls and lack of proper bedrooms for the children, comes to stand for a far more sinister lack of boundaries.
—Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unstable
Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
The office administers billions of dollars in grants to support low- and moderate-income people, including funding for affordable housing, homeless shelters and disaster recovery, raising the prospect that these forms of aid might one day be paid in an unstable currency.
—Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 2 Apr. 2025
Tesla is facing continued pressure both financially and culturally, and for many of its top competitors, its space in the car market looks unstable.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
This unstable dwelling, with its crumbling walls and lack of proper bedrooms for the children, comes to stand for a far more sinister lack of boundaries.
—Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unstable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unstable
Adjective
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Something long and meandering like this: For the next four years, the United States will be an unpredictable, unsteady global superpower run by a fascist oligarchy, in which the people’s representatives cater to a madman’s whim.—
Eli Grober,
The New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2025
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An unsteady job market has contributed to rising scrutiny around large corporations, also a driving theme of the season.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In volatile markets, that can be the difference between burning capital and building advantage.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
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Here’s what their analysis found: Only 8.4% of investors executed trades on any of those days, reacting to the volatile market by buying or selling stocks.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Trump has placed himself in a precarious situation.—
Time,
Time,
10 Apr. 2025
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Rodriguez wasn't the only G20 star to get into a precarious situation while making the movie.—
Joey Nolfi,
EW.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The source said Republicans view Powell as an important pillar of stability in the U.S. economy amid Trump’s unpredictable tariff war against foreign trading partners, including allies such as Canada, Japan, South Korean and Taiwan.—
Alexander Bolton,
The Hill,
22 Apr. 2025
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Spring temps can be unpredictable, so don’t forget to add on a pashmina-style shawl and some statement earrings.—
Jené Luciani Sena,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But with the addition of meaty tires, the result is bobbling side to side on uneven pavement, and the occasional entertaining hop over water channels at boulevard intersections.—
Mark Ewing,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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Milling disk grab ability Milling disks with rough, uneven edges around the milling holes work well for grabbing food during processing.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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After a rocky 2024 marred by a restructuring of its sales team and lower revenues per user, Dexcom’s stock lost about 37% of its value.—
Annika Kim Constantino,Ashley Capoot,Bertha Coombs,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2025
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Hamilton has been having a rocky start to his first season with the red team.—
Matt Robison,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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At the time that Keynes and Robinson were writing, the cost of beggar-thy-neighbor policies came mainly in the form of higher unemployment, as higher exports—unbalanced by higher imports—undermined manufacturers in trade deficit countries and forced them to lay off workers.—
Michael Pettis,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Apr. 2025
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With unsustainable low interest rates driving up housing valuations for years, the market has been unbalanced for 5 plus years now.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
24 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unstable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unstable. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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