as in unsteadiness
the quality or state of not being firmly fixed in position
the instability of the bridge became tragically apparent when it suddenly collapsed
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Recent Examples of instability
The city-wide fundraiser comes as Latino families face food insecurity, wage loss, and instability after ICE activity in Chicago.
—
Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Geopolitical risks have also become an increasingly important driver of bond markets, some analysts said, as concerns grow that governments will respond to instability with higher defense spending.
—Chloe Taylor,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 20 Jan. 2026
News of the closure comes after years of financial instability.
—Julianna Duennes Russ, Austin American Statesman, 19 Jan. 2026
After World War I, the US Navy operated the Yangtze Patrol, a flotilla of gunboats that protected American interests – including missionaries and oil companies – inside China during a lengthy period of warlordism and instability.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for instability
Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Geopolitical risks have also become an increasingly important driver of bond markets, some analysts said, as concerns grow that governments will respond to instability with higher defense spending.
—Chloe Taylor,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 20 Jan. 2026
News of the closure comes after years of financial instability.
—Julianna Duennes Russ, Austin American Statesman, 19 Jan. 2026
After World War I, the US Navy operated the Yangtze Patrol, a flotilla of gunboats that protected American interests – including missionaries and oil companies – inside China during a lengthy period of warlordism and instability.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for instability
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instability
Noun
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The recent private jobs reports released from ADP also showed unsteadiness.—
Steve Kopack,
NBC news,
3 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The situation in Venezuela is further complicated by the volatility of the exchange rate, the high prices of goods and basic products, and the precariousness of salaries and bonuses for millions of workers in the public sector, Trak said.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
5 Dec. 2025
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Trump’s emergency order, along with subsequent federal deployments that have continued in some form even after the formal emergency expired, highlighted the precariousness of local control.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Another centered on a teenage girl (Chloë Sevigny doppelgänger Emma Halleen), whose insecurities blind her to a life that is, on its surface, pretty good, finds a palpable sadness within the bedlam of the show.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Jan. 2026
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Fading are the insecurities and fears.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instability.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instability. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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