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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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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4
as in uneven
not staying constant
unsteady business conditions that rattled investors
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unsteady
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
But the travel industry is unsteady and my company went under in the first recession, so that was that.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 25 Feb. 2026
That scandal has shaken an already unsteady Prime Minister Keir Starmer, despite Starmer’s having never so much as encountered Epstein himself.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsteady
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
But the travel industry is unsteady and my company went under in the first recession, so that was that.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 25 Feb. 2026
That scandal has shaken an already unsteady Prime Minister Keir Starmer, despite Starmer’s having never so much as encountered Epstein himself.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsteady
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsteady
Adjective
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The project used to operate through private events and sporadic public appearances.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
14 Mar. 2026
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Perhaps both movements could have animated each other; perhaps the subsequent fight for women’s suffrage would have been less sporadic and slow.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Flying is the company’s second Nova-C lander named Athena featuring NASA’s PRIME-1 drill, to land a drill and mass spectrometer near the south pole of the moon in order to demonstrate the feasibility of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) and measure the volatile content of subsurface samples.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Mar. 2026
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But tungsten prices are particularly volatile during wartime – it’s used in armor-piercing artillery.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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His internet connection was increasingly unstable.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
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That’s the notion that an ideal cast member will be just emotionally unstable enough to be good television, without actually being dangerous.—
Rebecca Keegan,
NBC news,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Everything—from the squat, one-story structure to the station wagon parked outside—had been coated in the same uneven layer of white paint, as if someone had tried, hurriedly, to erase it from the landscape.—
Adam Ciralsky,
Vanity Fair,
19 Mar. 2026
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However, adoption remains uneven across sectors, reflecting differences in digital readiness and creating varied credit implications.—
Lee Ying Shan,Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The airport staffing reductions have caused intermittent security delays at airports around the country, particularly in Texas, Florida and the New York City area.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
17 Mar. 2026
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Fat burning is likely comparable between intermittent fasting and the keto diet, but intermittent fasting may be more sustainable in the long term.—
Amy Brownstein,
Verywell Health,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Waiting in this unpredictable climate, however, could risk paying more or potentially even being priced out of the market altogether.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
17 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,
17 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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Besides the lush vegetation and the occasional passing car, there are no other signs of life.—
Alex Morris,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2026
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Skies remain mostly sunny Thursday, March 26, and Friday, March 27, with only occasional clouds or brief showers possible.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unsteady.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsteady. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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