as in unstable
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of labile
In the new age of magic, when reality is labile and can be recoded by the power of signs, by narrative and memes and vibes and compelling images, art becomes a truly political technology.
—
Hari Kunzru, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
The astonishing Laanstra-Corn does not play Hedvig purely as an innocent; there’s something as dangerous and emotionally labile in her shocked face as there is in Gregers’s explosive outbursts.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
The mob is aroused and labile; the lumpy cops have no control, over the situation or over themselves.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 12 Oct. 2024
Then the therapist could spend several minutes establishing a safe rapport with the patient while waiting for the memory to enter a labile state during the reconsolidation-updating window.
—Bj Casey, Scientific American, 14 May 2024
There was something kinetic, something labile in his air.
—Kevin Barry, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Amid this high level of acting skill, Lindsey stood out with her wonderfully convincing gestures and facial expressions, filling out the character of the more labile younger sister with captivating verisimilitude.
—Jeremy Yudkin, BostonGlobe.com, 17 July 2023
In its particulars, that work prefigured much that was to come: public, politically labile, made with sparse means and leaving no object behind.
—New York Times, 4 Dec. 2021
Hari Kunzru, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
The astonishing Laanstra-Corn does not play Hedvig purely as an innocent; there’s something as dangerous and emotionally labile in her shocked face as there is in Gregers’s explosive outbursts.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
The mob is aroused and labile; the lumpy cops have no control, over the situation or over themselves.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 12 Oct. 2024
Then the therapist could spend several minutes establishing a safe rapport with the patient while waiting for the memory to enter a labile state during the reconsolidation-updating window.
—Bj Casey, Scientific American, 14 May 2024
There was something kinetic, something labile in his air.
—Kevin Barry, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Amid this high level of acting skill, Lindsey stood out with her wonderfully convincing gestures and facial expressions, filling out the character of the more labile younger sister with captivating verisimilitude.
—Jeremy Yudkin, BostonGlobe.com, 17 July 2023
In its particulars, that work prefigured much that was to come: public, politically labile, made with sparse means and leaving no object behind.
—New York Times, 4 Dec. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for labile
Adjective
-
This technique, sometimes called ski cutting, involves traversing across a slope to try and get unstable snow to slide down.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Antioxidants are compounds found in certain foods that help protect your cells from damage and disease caused by the build-up of unstable molecules called free radicals.—
Lauren Panoff,
Verywell Health,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Despite the uncertainty of his role entering training camp, Scott eventually formed a versatile safety trio with Moehrig and Ransom.—
Mike Kaye
January 8,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Just like black and white, gray pants are incredibly versatile.—
Eva Thomas,
InStyle,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In some studies, gloves not changed between tasks had higher bacterial counts and could transfer germs just as easily as ungloved hands, underscoring the need for frequent changing and proper hand hygiene.—
Evan Moore
December 19,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Even within a single day, temporary weight shifts are common and are often due to varying levels of fluid retention.—
Lauren O'Connor,
Health,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Each one grew up in a home that required her to curry favor with volatile and inconstant parents—a menacing father figure, a recessive and enabling mother—and each found a fragile safety in her caretakers’ occasional good will.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The self is a shifting, inconstant phenomenon, brain and body ever transforming in time and space, with no clear delineation between what is self and what is other.—
Lauren Groff,
The Atlantic,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Labile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labile. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
