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
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Recent Examples of unsteady
The senator seemed unsteady, but got up and kept walking with the help of his detail.
—
Lauren Peller, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2025
The ancient Greeks often compared the unsteady beat of waves against the shore to laughter.
—Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 15 Oct. 2025
House of Guinness tends to be wise about the ways both business and family are built over an unsteady and ever-changing series of negotiations for power and status.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
What the map did not show was that few hikers attempt this route due to its exposure and the extra time, water, and stamina required of a lengthy and strenuous Class II scramble up and down a trio of ever-taller unnamed 13,000-foot mountains of loose talus and unsteady granite blocks.
—Ted Katauskas, Outside, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsteady
Lauren Peller, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2025
The ancient Greeks often compared the unsteady beat of waves against the shore to laughter.
—Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 15 Oct. 2025
House of Guinness tends to be wise about the ways both business and family are built over an unsteady and ever-changing series of negotiations for power and status.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
What the map did not show was that few hikers attempt this route due to its exposure and the extra time, water, and stamina required of a lengthy and strenuous Class II scramble up and down a trio of ever-taller unnamed 13,000-foot mountains of loose talus and unsteady granite blocks.
—Ted Katauskas, Outside, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsteady
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsteady
Adjective
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During the current shutdown, there have been sporadic reports of unauthorized drone use, and law enforcement rangers are responding as normal.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
28 Oct. 2025
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And while many say Dexcom is aware of the issue, users describe the company’s response as limited primarily to silence, apologies, and sporadic replacements.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
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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These early casualties highlight the risks posed by prolonged rainfall and unstable terrain, even before a storm reaches peak intensity.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
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Earlier types of electrides were unstable and difficult to reproduce.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The early days of the season have been decidedly uneven.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
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Special features include their grippy Vibram outsoles, cushiony FloatPro Foam pods, and extra underfoot protection against rocks and uneven terrain.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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In the footage, the sounds come on in waves, rattling through the valley in intermittent thunders.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
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The Golden State’s heavy reliance on intermittent renewables such as wind and solar creates major reliability gaps when the sun sets or the wind stalls.—
Lora Myers,
Oc Register,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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With unpredictable twists and emotions running high, this Halloween is especially chaotic, and Mutable signs — Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces — can't imagine what's in store.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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Predicting something that has becoming increasingly unpredictable is an impossible task, but here’s a look at how the shutdown could ripple through critical avenues of everyday life.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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There are occasional reminders that the Mafia lingers.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
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All the pieces seem to fit, producing a symphony of contact and occasional crescendo of slug.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
25 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
Cite this Entry
“Unsteady.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsteady. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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