1
as in volatile
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
a fluctuating stock market makes it hard for investors to know what to do
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in changing
not staying constant
our speed was constantly fluctuating, so the figure of 50 miles per hour is just an average
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in varying
to pass from one form, state, or level to another
temperatures will fluctuate between the low and high 50s today
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fluctuating
Nick Miller, The Athletic, 13 Dec. 2024
The same amount of water per unit time can arrive as a smooth, steady rain of many small drops or as a strongly fluctuating shower with fewer but much larger drops.
—Douglas Natelson, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 2024
Irwin said that the characters’ runaway emotions are mirrored by the wildly fluctuating time signatures.
—Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 25 Jan. 2024
Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
The volatility of cryptocurrencies is significant, with prices frequently fluctuating sharply over brief durations.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
The price of gold followed a similar upward trajectory in 2023, with fluctuating interest rates, banking issues, and fears of a recession contributing to the boom.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 2 Sep. 2025
For some 430 million years, fire has been a persistent if fluctuating feature of planet Earth.
—Peter Brannen, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2025
The decades since have been marked by fluctuating tensions, and relations in recent years on the peninsula have become more strained.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025
What begins as a way to hit a step goal or keep an eye on calories burned often evolves into something deeper—a window into how shifting hormones, rising stress and fluctuating recovery patterns shape everyday health during perimenopause and beyond.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 21 Aug. 2025
Think of the streamflow values as a regularly fluctuating heartbeat, with no upward or downward trend through time.
—Ellen Wohl
august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
From a safety perspective, fluctuating temperatures and exposure to warm air can promote bacteria growth.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Many rival fans have had a good laugh at Tottenham and their wildly fluctuating results this season.
—Nick Miller, The Athletic, 13 Dec. 2024
The same amount of water per unit time can arrive as a smooth, steady rain of many small drops or as a strongly fluctuating shower with fewer but much larger drops.
—Douglas Natelson, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 2024
Irwin said that the characters’ runaway emotions are mirrored by the wildly fluctuating time signatures.
—Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 25 Jan. 2024
Verb
Five teenagers witnessed these lights fluctuating in sequence, suddenly diving at a 45-degree angle toward the water’s surface.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
The volatility of cryptocurrencies is significant, with prices frequently fluctuating sharply over brief durations.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
The price of gold followed a similar upward trajectory in 2023, with fluctuating interest rates, banking issues, and fears of a recession contributing to the boom.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 2 Sep. 2025
For some 430 million years, fire has been a persistent if fluctuating feature of planet Earth.
—Peter Brannen, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2025
The decades since have been marked by fluctuating tensions, and relations in recent years on the peninsula have become more strained.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025
What begins as a way to hit a step goal or keep an eye on calories burned often evolves into something deeper—a window into how shifting hormones, rising stress and fluctuating recovery patterns shape everyday health during perimenopause and beyond.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 21 Aug. 2025
Think of the streamflow values as a regularly fluctuating heartbeat, with no upward or downward trend through time.
—Ellen Wohl
august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
From a safety perspective, fluctuating temperatures and exposure to warm air can promote bacteria growth.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fluctuating
Adjective
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CaSSIS, meanwhile, could provide insights into 3I/ATLAS' volatile activity and its composition.—
Andrew Jones,
Space.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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The film also chronicles the ups and downs of Kerr's volatile relationship with Dawn.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Tactics will remain flexible to adapt to changing fire behavior, terrain limitations, and resource availability.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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Loosely cover the jar and keep it in the fridge for up to a week, changing the water every day or two.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
5 Sep. 2025
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
Verb
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Last splashes of varying bottles go into each, creating ever-evolving blends that will never taste the same on returning visits.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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According to an update shared by Ukraine’s Air Force on Thursday morning, Russia launched around 598 strike drones into Ukraine overnight into the early hours of the morning, as well as 31 missiles of varying types from launch sites in Kursk and Crimea, amongst other locations.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
28 Aug. 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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Even when Clark returned, her performance was uneven.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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This helps smooth out fingerprints or uneven spots, giving the frame a more professional look.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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To maintain tanks’ relevance, Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have covered them in different configurations of armor as ad hoc solutions to rapidly shifting tactics.—
Marco Hernandez,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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The Globe’s decision to stand by McCarthy is the latest in a series of indications that newsroom culture is shifting radically to match this backlash moment.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This discovery suggests a much more active early Earth, but this tectonic activity was still unstable, with crust sinking down not in a continuous motion, but in pulses, stopping for millions of years and then resuming activity.—
David Bressan,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
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In some cases, unstable shelter and food.—
Alan J. Borsuk,
jsonline.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fluctuating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fluctuating. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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