as in volatile
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
wise political leaders don't try to govern according to flickery public opinion
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flickery
Adjective
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Outperformance in the next decade won’t come from lower costs, but instead from the ability to keep operating when markets turn volatile.—
Victor Nian,
Fortune,
10 May 2026 -
It’s destined to be remembered as one of the most volatile and surprising political contests modern-day California has ever seen.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Adjective
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Intercepting Mach 5 hypersonic weapons in space Hypersonic weapons, traveling at speeds of Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound) and above with unpredictable maneuvers, pose significant challenges to traditional missile defenses.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
12 May 2026
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Prices are subject to rapid, unpredictable changes due to factors like, but not limited to, supply/demand, weather, and geopolitical events.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
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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An unstable ice block delayed Mount Everest’s climbing season until late April, yet around 464 climbers and their guides remain determined despite the danger and soaring permit costs.—
Binaj Gurubacharya,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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While mixtures of two or three metals were messy and unstable, the five-metal combination paradoxically self-organized into a single, uniform product, streamlining 31 possible chemical outcomes into a single, precise nanocrystal.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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When that early foundation is delayed or inconsistent, the effects don’t stay confined to those first years.—
Tina Dello Russo,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
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Why is the team suddenly playing stellar defense, after inconsistent performances all season?—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
10 May 2026
Adjective
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Twenty years ago, during my first year as a geoscience undergraduate, a lecturer told me that predicting when and where the next major eruption would take place was a pipe dream — the implication being that volcanoes are far too idiosyncratic and mercurial to have much in common with one another.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 May 2026
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Known by Manchester United fans as ‘King Eric’, the talismanic and mercurial character was also known for his temper and in 1995 he was convicted of assault of an abusive spectator, which led to an eight-month suspension from football.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
8 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Flickery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flickery. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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