1
as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence
a year of unsteady economic growth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in volatile
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
in the days of sailing ships, mariners were constantly at the mercy of unsteady winds
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unstable
not being in or able to maintain a state of balance
cautiously climbed up the unsteady ladder
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in uneven
not staying constant
unsteady business conditions that rattled investors
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unsteady
Usually when the economy is unsteady and the job market is weakening, the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates to give things a boost.
—
Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Lusti and Morrison made their first attempt in 2023 alongside big-mountain skier Tanner McNutt, but avalanches and unsteady snowpack turned the trio back from the summit.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 3 Mar. 2026
But early last year, the 63-year-old became unsteady on her feet.
—Christine Mai-Duc, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
If that wasn’t enough, the Florida Republican House and Senate members voted to rename the Palm Beach Airport after our president, who has had one unsteady year in office during his second term with a dismal approval rating lower than any chief executive since Richard Nixon.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsteady
Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Lusti and Morrison made their first attempt in 2023 alongside big-mountain skier Tanner McNutt, but avalanches and unsteady snowpack turned the trio back from the summit.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 3 Mar. 2026
But early last year, the 63-year-old became unsteady on her feet.
—Christine Mai-Duc, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
If that wasn’t enough, the Florida Republican House and Senate members voted to rename the Palm Beach Airport after our president, who has had one unsteady year in office during his second term with a dismal approval rating lower than any chief executive since Richard Nixon.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsteady
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsteady
Adjective
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Roberts said Kim would benefit from getting more consistent playing time in Triple-A rather than getting sporadic playing time in the major leagues.—
Michael Huntley,
Oc Register,
23 Mar. 2026
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Borek credited Muszelik with perhaps an even tougher challenge of having to stave off sporadic waves, versus the consistent pressure Lundgren faced.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The comparison isn't perfect — stock data spans decades, while trends in trading card values are shorter and more volatile — but the outperformance in certain windows is still striking.—
Brandon Gomez,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
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These volatile, double-digit voting shifts directly contrast more stable voting patterns among other major demographic groups, including the Black and white electorates, where shifts from cycle to cycle tend to be just a few points.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Weak—or even nonexistent—overnight freezes have left the snowpack soft and unstable early in the day, limiting the window for safe travel.—
Callie Zanandrie,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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But sometime between 100 million and 200 million years ago, the moon's orbit became unstable, and a series of gravitational interactions sent Chrysalis on a fatal, grazing encounter with Saturn.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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So while ending as a positive, the unit’s minutes were uneven.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
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Sound waves ricocheting between buildings stretched out reverberation times and created an uneven acoustic field.—
Yook JiHun,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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While Coptic Christians have long faced discrimination and intermittent violence in Egypt, attacks during this period intensified in both scale and public visibility.—
Candace Lukasik,
The Conversation,
27 Mar. 2026
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Robert Kearns, a Michigan engineer, invented the intermittent windshield wiper in the 1960s.—
Ugo Troiano,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Airport conditions have become increasingly unpredictable with swelling crowds seen in major hubs.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
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Prices are subject to rapid, unpredictable changes due to factors like, but not limited to, supply/demand, weather, and geopolitical events.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
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Mostly playing garbage time minutes for the Lakers, or the occasional start when injuries depleted the game-day roster, Bronny James stepped into rotation minutes in Indiana.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
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Driving east on Route 80 toward the Meta site in Holly Ridge, an unincorporated rural community about 15 minutes east of Rayville—the landscape is defined by flat expanses of soybean and cotton fields, punctuated by grain silos, grazing cows, and the occasional tractor.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unsteady.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsteady. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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