as in unpredictable
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
a boss of volatile moods is frustrating to work for
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of volatile
This category includes consumer spending and private investment but excludes volatile items such as exports, inventories and government spending.
—
Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
Another variable for inflation is the oil market, which has been volatile over the past few weeks due to the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States.
—Jesse Pound, CNBC, 25 June 2025
Powell, who represents 561 active probation officers, has been relentlessly critical of Holmes’ two-year tenure over a range of issues, including pay disparities with other uniformed services, the wave of attrition in the ranks, high caseloads and her volatile management style.
—Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 24 June 2025
But make no mistake: the situation remains extremely volatile.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for volatile
Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
Another variable for inflation is the oil market, which has been volatile over the past few weeks due to the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States.
—Jesse Pound, CNBC, 25 June 2025
Powell, who represents 561 active probation officers, has been relentlessly critical of Holmes’ two-year tenure over a range of issues, including pay disparities with other uniformed services, the wave of attrition in the ranks, high caseloads and her volatile management style.
—Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 24 June 2025
But make no mistake: the situation remains extremely volatile.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for volatile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for volatile
Adjective
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Each response is a surprise, tapping into the psychological principle of intermittent reinforcement, famously demonstrated by psychologist B.F. Skinner, where unpredictable rewards significantly amplify behaviors, much like gambling addiction.—
Curt Steinhorst,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Bright lights, unpredictable noises, unfamiliar smells, and the pressure to 'behave' in a certain way can quickly overwhelm a child whose brain processes the world differently.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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Caregivers, or Care Pros, are the largest workforce in the U.S., yet their jobs are often undervalued and unstable.—
Glenn Llopis,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
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Residents in the wing that stayed intact managed to get out but were not allowed to return to their homes, and the rest of the building, determined to be unstable, was demolished 10 days later as a hurricane threatened South Florida.—
Linda Robertson,
Miami Herald,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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The variable consideration can be triggered by Comcast, Sky’s parent company, at any time within five years after closing, provided that RTL Group’s share price exceeds €41.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
27 June 2025
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Comcast can trigger the variable payment at any time within five years.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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This can result in inconsistent model behavior or bloated integrations.—
Adrian Bridgwater,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Chiefs 2022 second-round pick Skyy Moore has been productive in practices but also needs to regain trust after previous inconsistent play.—
Jesse Newell,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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Hers is the kind of face that inspires directors to tight framing — gleaming, as if smoothed from marble, and yet somehow pliant, changeful.—
Jordan Kisner Jack Davison,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2022
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Rigorous, blustery winter; winding sleety spring; hot, moist enervating summer; changeful autumn with its dog-days; these are absolutely unknown.—
San Diego Union-Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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More substantively, the ideological contours of the new Resistance still feel unsettled.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
20 June 2025
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But the broader future of federal support for science remains unsettled.—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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Iran’s brief but brutal war with Israel has left its theocratic regime facing an uncertain future.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
25 June 2025
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Now in private practice as co-head of Morrison Foerster’s Securities + Derivatives Regulatory Solutions team and a partner in the firm’s Capital Markets and Broker-Dealer Compliance + Regulation practice groups, Dahiya is in a unique position to help clients navigate complex and uncertain terrain.—
Liane Jackson,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Volatile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/volatile. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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