as in unstable
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Recent Examples of labile
While traditional facelifts merely tighten the skin in a superficial manner, deep-plane procedures can now reorganize the underlying structure of the face, repositioning muscles, fat pads, and ligaments in a labile system of roving features.
—
Patrick R. Crowley, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
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
Patrick R. Crowley, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for labile
Adjective
-
Drills intended to ensure security and military preparedness Russian President Vladimir Putin said the drills were intended to ensure national security and military preparedness in what Moscow describes as an increasingly unstable international environment.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
22 May 2026
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Authorities have not yet determined what caused the incident, but early reports suggest the hovercraft may have become unstable after moving onto thin ice near the shoreline.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
Adjective
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For a comfy and versatile maxi option, grab this puff-sleeve maxi dress in one (or more) of the 36 colors and patterns available.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
23 May 2026
-
Buzz Powell, technical director at the Asphalt Pavement Alliance, a coalition of national industry groups, said asphalt is more versatile and designed to handle heavy traffic better than some of the newer alternatives, and that any new pavement may need repairs eventually.—
Aya Diab,
Fortune,
23 May 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
-
This is a recurring injury for Smith, who has missed five of the last nine games due to varying levels of discomfort in his calf.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Feb. 2026
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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
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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 25 May. 2026.
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