as in volatile
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
unpredictable spring weather that makes it really hard to know what to wear
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unpredictable
The incentives operate on a rolling basis to accommodate the industry’s unpredictable timelines.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
With 17 million watching, the audience, too, becomes possessed — including the president of the United States — providing unpredictable entertainment that morphs into evil when a supposedly harmless, fake exorcism turns all too real.
—Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
If nothing else, there should be robust discussions about an unpredictable leader in North Korea, Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea and, of course, Taiwan.
—Christopher Smart, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
In reality, the course of symptoms is unpredictable and can last 10 years in some women.
—Marnie Goodfriend, Flow Space, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unpredictable
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
With 17 million watching, the audience, too, becomes possessed — including the president of the United States — providing unpredictable entertainment that morphs into evil when a supposedly harmless, fake exorcism turns all too real.
—Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
If nothing else, there should be robust discussions about an unpredictable leader in North Korea, Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea and, of course, Taiwan.
—Christopher Smart, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
In reality, the course of symptoms is unpredictable and can last 10 years in some women.
—Marnie Goodfriend, Flow Space, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unpredictable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unpredictable
Adjective
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But any agreement reached will be just one touchstone in a thorny and volatile great power rivalry between the world’s superpower democracy and an authoritarian China, whose growing military assertiveness under Xi in the East and South China Seas is rattling US allies in the region.—
Betsy Klein,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose 3% year over year, the slowest pace since early spring.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Rigorous, blustery winter; winding sleety spring; hot, moist enervating summer; changeful autumn with its dog-days; these are absolutely unknown.—
San Diego Union-Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Jan. 2023
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Hers is the kind of face that inspires directors to tight framing — gleaming, as if smoothed from marble, and yet somehow pliant, changeful.—
Jordan Kisner Jack Davison,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2022
Adjective
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Tailless designs are inherently unstable, and thrust vectoring can maximize performance across the flight envelope, including at high altitudes, the report noted.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Nov. 2025
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New refugees continue to arrive every day as conditions in South Sudan remain unstable.—
Fatma Tanis,
NPR,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unpredictable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unpredictable. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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