as in unpredictable
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
a boss of volatile moods is frustrating to work for
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of volatile
This category includes consumer spending and private investment but excludes volatile items such as exports, inventories and government spending.
—
Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
Another variable for inflation is the oil market, which has been volatile over the past few weeks due to the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States.
—Jesse Pound, CNBC, 25 June 2025
Powell, who represents 561 active probation officers, has been relentlessly critical of Holmes’ two-year tenure over a range of issues, including pay disparities with other uniformed services, the wave of attrition in the ranks, high caseloads and her volatile management style.
—Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 24 June 2025
But make no mistake: the situation remains extremely volatile.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for volatile
Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
Another variable for inflation is the oil market, which has been volatile over the past few weeks due to the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States.
—Jesse Pound, CNBC, 25 June 2025
Powell, who represents 561 active probation officers, has been relentlessly critical of Holmes’ two-year tenure over a range of issues, including pay disparities with other uniformed services, the wave of attrition in the ranks, high caseloads and her volatile management style.
—Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 24 June 2025
But make no mistake: the situation remains extremely volatile.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for volatile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for volatile
Adjective
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Each response is a surprise, tapping into the psychological principle of intermittent reinforcement, famously demonstrated by psychologist B.F. Skinner, where unpredictable rewards significantly amplify behaviors, much like gambling addiction.—
Curt Steinhorst,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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The Big Apple is full of complex, unpredictable scenarios for the Waymo Driver software to handle: Jaywalking pedestrians, trucks parked in the street, complex intersections, heavy rains, and harsh winter weather, to name a few.—
Emily Forlini,
PC Magazine,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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Caregivers, or Care Pros, are the largest workforce in the U.S., yet their jobs are often undervalued and unstable.—
Glenn Llopis,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
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Residents in the wing that stayed intact managed to get out but were not allowed to return to their homes, and the rest of the building, determined to be unstable, was demolished 10 days later as a hurricane threatened South Florida.—
Linda Robertson,
Miami Herald,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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Comcast can trigger the variable payment at any time within five years.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
27 June 2025
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The variable consideration can be triggered by Comcast, Sky’s parent company, at any time within five years after closing, provided that RTL Group’s share price exceeds €41.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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Since 2024, luxury brands from conglomerates like Kering, LVMH and Richemont have experienced inconsistent quarters of sales growth and decline.—
Emma Sandler,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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The talented but inconsistent 22-year-old forward has tantalized the Warriors with his athleticism and scoring, and frustrated with his mental lapses and on-court gaffes, for four seasons since being the No. 7 pick in the 2021 draft.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
27 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
Adjective
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More substantively, the ideological contours of the new Resistance still feel unsettled.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
20 June 2025
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But the broader future of federal support for science remains unsettled.—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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To be sure, the uncertain economy could weigh on consumer spending in the near term, impacting online purchases.—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
25 June 2025
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Overall, the challenges highlighted by business leaders included uncertain economic conditions (55 percent), tariffs (41 percent), and revenue and sales growth (41 percent).—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Volatile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/volatile. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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