1
as in adjustable
capable of being readily changed
a variable expense that we could reduce if we needed to
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in volatile
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
highly variable income from his job as a real estate agent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in variable star
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of variable
Lee Billings, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2026
Pond skims a rite of spring Spring skiing can be variable.
—Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 18 Mar. 2026
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
Wind will be light and variable in the morning, with a weak sea breeze in the afternoon.
—Anthony Edwards, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for variable
Adjective
Liquid fuels imbued rockets with a more powerful thrust and, thanks to their variable flow, also offered more control—precisely what would be needed for any serious attempt at spaceflight.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2026
Pond skims a rite of spring Spring skiing can be variable.
—Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 18 Mar. 2026
Noun
But Morgan Stanley was explicit that duration is the key variable.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
Wind will be light and variable in the morning, with a weak sea breeze in the afternoon.
—Anthony Edwards, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for variable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for variable
Adjective
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The cushioned shoulder straps and adjustable chest strap ensure a comfortable fit, too.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Miura prefers lighter chairs with a small backrest; Tahara highlighted the benefits of chairs with adjustable seat heights, large wheels and shorter stems.—
Trista Kurniawan,
CNN Money,
28 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
Noun
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Bradley Schaefer, an astronomer at Louisiana State University, focuses on cataclysmic variable stars, objects that vary in brightness over time due to some type of major turmoil.—
Liz Kruesi,
Quanta Magazine,
2 Feb. 2026
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In another imaging campaign, API, assisted by AMIGO, was able to produce detailed images of a black hole jet, the volcanic surface of Jupiter's moon Io, and stellar winds emanating from a distant variable star.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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This approach highlights a broader shift in robotics, where engineers are borrowing from biological systems to build machines that are more adaptable and resilient.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Mar. 2026
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With such a precise routine, Kodai Senga isn’t very adaptable.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
21 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
Noun
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Additionally, by using computer simulations, the researchers were able to determine the future of this 3+1 star system, ending up as just two white dwarf stellar remnants.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
3 Mar. 2026
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Finally, its now-inert core contracts down to form a white dwarf, while the prior ejecta get heated up and ionized, creating a planetary nebula.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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SMAs provide reliable thermal recovery, while SMPs offer flexible, stimulus-responsive deformation.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Mar. 2026
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That option also would provide flexibility with temporary closures, without having to close all of Prospect Avenue, and would implement unique pavers and hardscaping to the Prospect Avenue slip lane to create a flexible shared space.—
Chuck Fieldman,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The solution was to break the problem down, considering each neutron star individually, and its companion as just a source of gravitational tides.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
15 Mar. 2026
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When such a star was some 10 to 25 times the mass of our sun, that remnant is usually a neutron star.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Variable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/variable. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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