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labile

adjective

Definition of labilenext
as in unstable

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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 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 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
  1. unstable
  2. versatile
  3. changing
  4. varying
  5. inconstant
Adjective
  • Unlike a recruiting leader, an engineer sees a production system with no architecture, an unreliable supply chain, an unstable line and no-exception handling.
    — Pradeep Prasana Kanagaraj, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Neutrons are unstable when they’re not bound in nuclei, spontaneously spitting out lighter particles in about 15 minutes to become the slightly lighter proton.
    — Cara Giovanetti, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of unstable
Adjective
  • Things that are versatile, that will last a lifetime, will give you so much more than anything else.
    — Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Quince’s mid-hip coat is a versatile basic made with luxe Italian wool, while Free People’s slouchier, intentionally oversized option leaves plenty of room to layer chunky sweaters.
    — Malia Griggs, Glamour, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of versatile
Adjective
  • This might be the moment to plot a California trip with more changing leaves and less traffic.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The difference is not the map, but how changing conditions are interpreted along the way.
    — Alex Shahidi, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of changing
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
  • 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
Definition of varying
Adjective
  • But there’s another inconstant element on Flagler that neither the city nor its agencies have any control over.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of inconstant

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labels
labile
labor
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Cite this Entry

“Labile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labile. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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