as in volatile
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
unpredictable spring weather that makes it really hard to know what to wear
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Recent Examples of unpredictable
In one study, researchers induced postnatal stress in a mouse (confining her, forcing her to swim) and separated her from her pups at unpredictable intervals.
—
Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
Trump criticized the Russian leader, describing Putin as unpredictable.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 14 July 2025
Editor-in-chief C. B. Cebulski, Ultimate editor Wil Moss, and some of the line’s hit creators discuss the imprint’s success while revealing the bold and unpredictable storytelling still on the horizon.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2025
But the administration's approach remains unpredictable—Trump has continued to voice his desire for the US to remain an AI leader while trying to keep top tech out of the hands of China, creating a challenging environment for Nvidia to navigate.
—ArsTechnica, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for unpredictable
Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
Trump criticized the Russian leader, describing Putin as unpredictable.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 14 July 2025
Editor-in-chief C. B. Cebulski, Ultimate editor Wil Moss, and some of the line’s hit creators discuss the imprint’s success while revealing the bold and unpredictable storytelling still on the horizon.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2025
But the administration's approach remains unpredictable—Trump has continued to voice his desire for the US to remain an AI leader while trying to keep top tech out of the hands of China, creating a challenging environment for Nvidia to navigate.
—ArsTechnica, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for unpredictable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unpredictable
Adjective
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The consequences would be far reaching and upend an already volatile political world.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Aug. 2025
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The explosion was one of the country’s largest since the 2010 eruption of Mount Merapi, the country’s most volatile volcano.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
2 Aug. 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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To do this, the team used a robotic arm equipped with a force and torque sensor to measure air flow in hundreds of spots inside a short model duct to build up a map that shows the unstable danger points in a circular duct and safer ones where the air currents cancel one another out.—
David Szondy
August 02,
New Atlas,
2 Aug. 2025
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In particle physics, decay refers to the process where unstable subatomic particles transform into two or more lighter, more stable particles.—
William Barter,
Space.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unpredictable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unpredictable. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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