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
Iranian officials disputed his claims of diplomatic progress and accused the president of trying to buy time and manipulate the financial and oil markets to quell mounting outrage over market instability.
—
Charlene Gubash, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
Gold is traditionally seen as a safe haven by investors during times of instability.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026
The heat and instability were enough for storms to fire with large hail the biggest issue yesterday evening as storms fired off of a cold front moving through.
—Ron Smiley, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
The result is reported work stoppages, legal threats, and a growing sense of instability around the company’s operations.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for instability
Charlene Gubash, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
Gold is traditionally seen as a safe haven by investors during times of instability.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026
The heat and instability were enough for storms to fire with large hail the biggest issue yesterday evening as storms fired off of a cold front moving through.
—Ron Smiley, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
The result is reported work stoppages, legal threats, and a growing sense of instability around the company’s operations.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for instability
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instability
Noun
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Those dates were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and later canceled following Dion's 2022 diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that includes rigidity and stiffness of certain areas of the body, causing unsteadiness, slower movements and difficulties walking.—
Shafiq Najib,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Can’t slam anyone for that, and the unsteadiness was real and the moment was more poignant because of it.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The precariousness of Hollywood has always been at the heart of The Comeback.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Mar. 2026
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Shifting comments from the Republican president and his top aides are adding to the precariousness of the 12-day-old conflict, which is impacting nearly every corner of the Middle East and causing economic tremors around the globe.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Everybody agrees that housing insecurity is a significant issue for New Yorkers, and there is absolutely a role for city government to facilitate people staying in their homes.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Lithgow — so nimble and charismatic and then suddenly so imposing, with no aversion to the grotesque — knows how to bring out the insecurity that almost always festers at the center of any performatively self-certain action.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instability.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instability. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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