1
as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence
a year of unsteady economic growth
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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of unsteady
Slow and unsteady Karma: The Dark World is a slow game, both in its exposition and its occasionally frustrating slow walking speed.
—
Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Her hands became too unsteady after 2000 to continue drawing.
—Hilarie M. Sheets, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Something long and meandering like this: For the next four years, the United States will be an unpredictable, unsteady global superpower run by a fascist oligarchy, in which the people’s representatives cater to a madman’s whim.
—Eli Grober, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
An unsteady job market has contributed to rising scrutiny around large corporations, also a driving theme of the season.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsteady
Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Her hands became too unsteady after 2000 to continue drawing.
—Hilarie M. Sheets, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Something long and meandering like this: For the next four years, the United States will be an unpredictable, unsteady global superpower run by a fascist oligarchy, in which the people’s representatives cater to a madman’s whim.
—Eli Grober, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
An unsteady job market has contributed to rising scrutiny around large corporations, also a driving theme of the season.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsteady
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsteady
Adjective
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Though the May 31 eruption is the only one caught on official video, the USGS has received several reports of other sporadic eruptions over the past year.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
1 June 2025
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My spring crops were slow to develop this year, stifled by sporadic frosts and bouts of dry weather.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Rising prices, fomenting trade wars, and uncertainty about when tariffs will go into effect has led to a volatile economic climate.—
Boone Ashworth,
Wired News,
4 June 2025
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Shortly after, Mars will square Uranus on June 15, creating a volatile energy between your desire for personal freedom and autonomy, versus unpredictable events that shake up your day-to-day routines and sense of stability.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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Sitting places the glutes in a lengthened, inactive state that pushes the pelvis forward and puts the lower back at a painfully compressed, mechanical disadvantage, which in turn creates a posture that feels tight, stiff and unstable.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
30 May 2025
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The mountain side of the glacier had been unstable since last week, when millions of pounds of rock debris fell onto the glacier surface, Davies said.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
29 May 2025
Adjective
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The American game was largely insular, coaching education uneven, and infrastructure limited.—
Lee Igel,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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Read More: The Healthiest Way to Clean Your House Check the base of the unit, too: Dirt can settle underneath, making the entire thing uneven, leading to performance issues and major repairs down the road, Drew says.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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Residents lack running water, use 5-gallon buckets as toilets and must contend with intermittent electricity and deteriorating homes that expose them to the region’s fierce weather.—
Emily Schwing,
ProPublica,
29 May 2025
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Holmgren had to take intermittent breaks from the sport because of growing pains.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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Smaller airlines are reportedly being hurt worst by unpredictable travel times.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
27 May 2025
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John Daly and Tiger Woods share a legendary and unpredictable bond.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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There is an occasional veteran who shows up on a rehabilitation assignment.—
Bernie Pleskoff,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
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Having the occasional treat or missing a workout is okay.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Unsteady.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsteady. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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