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
Contingent workers allow mine owners to adjust headcount to the volatile price of metals and to field engineers with specialized skills in critical minerals.
—
Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
These rankings are volatile early in the season, rewarding what appear to be impressive wins.
—Chris Vannini, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
The realism of the drills, officials said, was intentional: Each scenario was designed to mirror the volatile mix of protest and confrontation that has become increasingly common in American cities.
—Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025
That’s particularly important given volatile consumption in and geopolitical uncertainty around China, today its largest overseas base.
—Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for volatile
Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
These rankings are volatile early in the season, rewarding what appear to be impressive wins.
—Chris Vannini, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
The realism of the drills, officials said, was intentional: Each scenario was designed to mirror the volatile mix of protest and confrontation that has become increasingly common in American cities.
—Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025
That’s particularly important given volatile consumption in and geopolitical uncertainty around China, today its largest overseas base.
—Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for volatile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for volatile
Adjective
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Fall is a beautiful time to go hiking, but with the colorful foliage comes dropping temperatures, rainy days, and unpredictable weather.—
Anne Taylor,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Sep. 2025
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Several party officials argued Kaegi’s valuations were unpredictable and faulted his management of certain tax breaks.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The situation at home was unstable.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
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Companies that lean too far in one direction risk either frustrating users with delays or damaging trust with unstable or inaccurate outputs.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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There’s also a type of automatic called a continuously variable transmission (also known as a CVT) that eschews a set of gears for a pair of variable-width pulleys connected by a belt.—
Jim Gorzelany,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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However, advocates say that the two are complementary, with SMRs providing dependable power that can adjust to inherently variable energy sources such as wind and solar power.—
Anna Heim,
Fortune,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For an island whose economy has long wrestled with the effects and aftershocks of natural disasters, fiscal crises, and inconsistent tourism, this is a very significant boost.—
Doug Melville,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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All of these changes lead to reduced and inconsistent blood flow within your blood vessels and may increase the likelihood of blood clots.—
Heidi Moawad,
Verywell Health,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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The line was one of the more questionable position groups heading into the season opener, with an unsettled lineup for most of fall camp.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
5 Sep. 2025
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Patrick Modiano’s grand theme is memory in unsettled times, with the characters in his novels caught between a mysterious past and a discordant present.—
Ruth Margalit,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In a fast-paced, digital, and uncertain world, wallpaper offers both emotional and sensory reprieve.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
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Right now, midfield, where Joe Willock’s long-term future is uncertain, and up front remain areas which could be improved upon.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Volatile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/volatile. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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