1
as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence
a year of unsteady economic growth
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in volatile
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
in the days of sailing ships, mariners were constantly at the mercy of unsteady winds
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unstable
not being in or able to maintain a state of balance
cautiously climbed up the unsteady ladder
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4
as in uneven
not staying constant
unsteady business conditions that rattled investors
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unsteady
Now Raising Alarm in the US Meanwhile, business sentiment remains unsteady, with the National Federation of Independent Business' (NFIB) Uncertainty Index rising 4 points to 104 in February—its second-highest reading since the index's inception in 1973.
—
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
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
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
The mother, while not as severely impaired, is unsteady on her feet and depends on a cane.
—Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsteady
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
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
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
The mother, while not as severely impaired, is unsteady on her feet and depends on a cane.
—Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsteady
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsteady
Adjective
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But the absence of The Rock—the catalyst of this entire turn—throughout the entire build of WrestleMania, mixed with the sporadic appearances from Cena, hurt the storytelling of what could have been a deeply complex villain.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
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Justin Turner has been among those helping Workman navigate his first experience with life in the big leagues and sporadic playing time.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Over the past four years, SOFI's annual returns have been considerably more volatile than the S&P 500, with returns of 27% in 2021, -71% in 2022, 116% in 2023, and 55% in 2024.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
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Income tax is more volatile and susceptible to the ups and downs within the economy, Greller said.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Rigid robots are prone to damage in unstable, cramped environments and are expensive to repair.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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Remember: Antioxidants can slow aging and prevent skin damage caused by unstable molecules called free radicals.—
Danielle Jackson,
Glamour,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The two men had worked together for years, selling everything from colon cleanses to get-rich-quick advice, before pivoting to crypto with uneven results.—
Eric Lipton,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
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An even newer device, an electronic screener or balance board, measures foot movements as the patient tries to balance themselves on an uneven surface with their eyes open, and then closed.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The pair are searching for the source of a particular beep: the intermittent ping that a smoke alarm makes when its battery is running low.—
Kirk Johnson,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2025
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Based on the research, participants lost about 7 to 11 pounds over 10 weeks while intermittent fasting.18 Remember, fad diets are not healthy for you, especially long term.—
Sohaib Imtiaz,
Verywell Health,
23 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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Understanding regional industry nuances and navigating unpredictable sales cycles are as critical as technological advancement.—
Jamil Wyne,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Consistency turns occasional readers into followers who can predict your stance on related issues.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
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Those posts often highlight the overconfident way the AI Overview frames its idiomatic explanations and occasional problems with the model confabulating sources that don't exist.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
29 Apr. 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
Cite this Entry
“Unsteady.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsteady. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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