1
as in adjustable
capable of being readily changed
a variable expense that we could reduce if we needed to
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of variable
Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
Columbus can expect variable cloudiness, with temperatures ranging from 56 to 45 degrees.
—Brandi D. Addison, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Oct. 2025
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2025
For a 76ers team that fell well short of expectations a year ago, Embiid's availability is the single largest variable affecting the franchise's playoff odds in 2025-26.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for variable
Adjective
The correlation seemed to suggest that space was alive with invisible forces that bound together the variable environments of the Sun and Earth.
—Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
Columbus can expect variable cloudiness, with temperatures ranging from 56 to 45 degrees.
—Brandi D. Addison, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
One of the best shot-blocking wings in the league and a tenacious perimeter defender, his offensive development is the main basketball variable standing in the way of a lucrative second contract.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2025
For a 76ers team that fell well short of expectations a year ago, Embiid's availability is the single largest variable affecting the franchise's playoff odds in 2025-26.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for variable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for variable
Adjective
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Some of the best gifts for 2-year-olds channel their excess energy into an active hobby, such as zooming around on their balance bike or shooting hoops at an adjustable basketball hoop.—
Anja Webb,
Parents,
7 Nov. 2025
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This device is compact and easy to operate, with an adjustable grind size and a 28-gram catch capacity built into the bottom.—
Jack Byram,
Architectural Digest,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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First, the electrodes and electrolytes are adjusted to handle high temperatures, specifically replacing the volatile liquid electrolyte used in traditional Li batteries.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Nov. 2025
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Taking the long view Many finance leaders remain cautious, viewing bitcoin as too volatile—especially recently—compared to traditional assets.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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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
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Many of these alerts will be triggered by variable stars, which cyclically change in brightness.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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Related Stories The conversation opened with Korea’s webtoon ecosystem, a prolific source of globally adaptable IP.—
Lin Ying-Hsuan,
Variety,
5 Nov. 2025
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With seven adaptable meeting rooms and an outdoor terrace known as The Nest, the hotel provides a focused and private environment for rest, recovery, and team operations.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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This combination allows for precise navigation in tight or unpredictable environments.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
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Tinker was brilliant, unpredictable, and slightly unhinged.—
Henry Selick,
IndieWire,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The hypothesis was based on the taking of distance measurements to faraway galaxies using type 1a supernovae, stellar explosions that occur in twin star systems where one of the stars is a white dwarf.—
Ian Randall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Meanwhile, Type la supernovas occur when a white dwarf star undergoes a thermonuclear explosion, reaching nearly the same peak brightness each time.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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These include electric vehicles with extended driving ranges, large-scale renewable energy storage systems that can balance intermittent solar and wind power, and lightweight, flexible power sources for portable and wearable electronics.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
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Airlines have been alerting customers whose flights are canceled and offering flexible rebooking and refund options to other travelers headed to those 40 airports.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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As the collapsed core of a massive star, a neutron star is a small but incredibly dense object, packing up to three times the mass of our sun into a small volume.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
24 Oct. 2025
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In the 10 years since then, scientists have detected hundreds of black holes coming together, as well as other extreme cosmic events like neutron stars colliding and black holes merging with a neutron star.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Variable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/variable. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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