1
as in volatile
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
a fluctuating stock market makes it hard for investors to know what to do
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in changing
not staying constant
our speed was constantly fluctuating, so the figure of 50 miles per hour is just an average
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in varying
to pass from one form, state, or level to another
temperatures will fluctuate between the low and high 50s today
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fluctuating
Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Oct. 2025
Many rival fans have had a good laugh at Tottenham and their wildly fluctuating results this season.
—Nick Miller, The Athletic, 13 Dec. 2024
The same amount of water per unit time can arrive as a smooth, steady rain of many small drops or as a strongly fluctuating shower with fewer but much larger drops.
—Douglas Natelson, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 2024
Irwin said that the characters’ runaway emotions are mirrored by the wildly fluctuating time signatures.
—Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 25 Jan. 2024
Leah Downey, The New York Review of Books, 7 Feb. 2026
In the days leading up to the deadline, Kalshi had several posts on X highlighting its event contracts on Antetokounmpo’s trade market and the fluctuating odds connected to the teams believed to be in the mix for his services.
—Jay Cohen, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2026
Expect cooler-than-average temperatures across Iowa, with fluctuating warm and cold spells.
—Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 6 Feb. 2026
Illinois lawmakers recently flirted with a tax on unrealized gains—think of stocks yet to be sold at fluctuating prices that only exist on paper—before retreating.
—Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
With currents shifting beneath the surface and temperatures fluctuating, people should exercise extreme caution before venturing out.
—Ahmad Bajjey, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
In his teens and early 20s, a variety of knocks and muscle strains — plus a variety of coaches with fluctuating opinions of him — complicated his development.
—Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
Snow and rain can be difficult events to predict because long-range models shift from day to day, and sometimes from hour to hour, with general patterns of pressure, precipitation, air speed, and temperature fluctuating constantly in the run-up to a big storm.
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately, basements experience fluctuating temperatures and high humidity levels, which can cause severe damage to materials like wood and fabric, especially in the winter.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Don’t Leave Pumpkins to Extreme Elements Pumpkins prefer consistency, so fluctuating temperatures—such as freezing nights followed by warm, sunny days—can weaken them.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Oct. 2025
Many rival fans have had a good laugh at Tottenham and their wildly fluctuating results this season.
—Nick Miller, The Athletic, 13 Dec. 2024
The same amount of water per unit time can arrive as a smooth, steady rain of many small drops or as a strongly fluctuating shower with fewer but much larger drops.
—Douglas Natelson, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 2024
Irwin said that the characters’ runaway emotions are mirrored by the wildly fluctuating time signatures.
—Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 25 Jan. 2024
Verb
Joy Neumeyer What do the far right’s fluctuating fortunes in Poland suggest about countries seeking an off-ramp from autocracy?
—Leah Downey, The New York Review of Books, 7 Feb. 2026
In the days leading up to the deadline, Kalshi had several posts on X highlighting its event contracts on Antetokounmpo’s trade market and the fluctuating odds connected to the teams believed to be in the mix for his services.
—Jay Cohen, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2026
Expect cooler-than-average temperatures across Iowa, with fluctuating warm and cold spells.
—Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 6 Feb. 2026
Illinois lawmakers recently flirted with a tax on unrealized gains—think of stocks yet to be sold at fluctuating prices that only exist on paper—before retreating.
—Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
With currents shifting beneath the surface and temperatures fluctuating, people should exercise extreme caution before venturing out.
—Ahmad Bajjey, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
In his teens and early 20s, a variety of knocks and muscle strains — plus a variety of coaches with fluctuating opinions of him — complicated his development.
—Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
Snow and rain can be difficult events to predict because long-range models shift from day to day, and sometimes from hour to hour, with general patterns of pressure, precipitation, air speed, and temperature fluctuating constantly in the run-up to a big storm.
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately, basements experience fluctuating temperatures and high humidity levels, which can cause severe damage to materials like wood and fabric, especially in the winter.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 25 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fluctuating
Adjective
-
His Roc Nation entertainment company has partnered with the NFL to produce the Super Bowl Halftime Shows since 2019 and is responsible for the politically volatile but culturally momentous choice to bring Bad Bunny to the stage Sunday.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
8 Feb. 2026
-
That also includes the lives of our officers when faced with armed juveniles in volatile situations.—
Ryan Murphy,
IndyStar,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
Verb
-
Data on the cloud doesn’t disappear The policy also makes clear that footage can stay on cloud servers for varying amounts of time, but also gives users the right to view and delete video at their discretion.—
Safiyah Riddle,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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With 65 bedrooms, 20 apartments and four lofts, the range of accommodations suits groups of varying sizes.—
Melinda Sheckells,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This delay has raised concerns about the safety of robots, drones, and autonomous vehicles operating in unpredictable environments.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
-
This is ideal for decades of sliding across the ice, because bigger mineral grains are more likely to get plucked out by the ice, leaving holes in the surface that could cause unpredictable behavior.—
Andrea Thompson,
Scientific American,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Despite substantial investment, outcomes remain uneven, and access to alternatives is often constrained by income.—
Carol Platt Liebau,
Hartford Courant,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Bets on economic resilience have recently fueled gains in companies that tend to benefit from improving growth prospects, the latest data underscored the uneven labor market characterized by limited numbers of overall dismissals and lackluster hiring.—
Rita Nazareth,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Set inside the world’s most popular video game, the film imagines a next-gen AI system that allows in-game characters to become sentient, shifting the game from entertainment into a living universe that awakens, evolves and begins interacting with human beings.—
Emiliano De Pablos,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
-
To his credit, the filmmaker handles this dark material with considerable showmanship, shifting from the most striking chiaroscuro black-and-white to bursts of near-garish technicolor, giving each grim coda a distinct visual texture.—
Ben Croll,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
Adjective
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Studies show annual turnover among nursing assistants can approach 100%, and home care roles see turnover rates of around 75%, reflecting both burnout and unstable hours.—
Allie Canal,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The Associated Press reported on February 9 that heavy snowfall and an unstable snowpack were the cause of most of the deaths.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fluctuating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fluctuating. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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