Definition of inconstancynext
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as in fluctuation
the frequent and usually sudden passing from one condition to another the inconstancy of public opinion is such that today's hero may be tomorrow's punching bag

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inconstancy Scientific and engineering advances don't do well in the face of such wild swings and inconstancy. Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2025 Europeans, awakened to the danger of American inconstancy, are scrambling to spend trillions more on defense in coming years. Adam Rasmi, Time, 20 June 2025 Years of naval inconstancy with repair work drove Vigor Industrial—a once vibrant and growing maritime conglomerate—into the welcoming arms of hedge funds, which wasted no time in striping the company of value. Craig Hooper, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Here, Calabazas appears to be holding a toy windmill in one hand and, in the other, a miniature portrait of a woman, perhaps intended by Velázquez as a commentary on the inconstancy of love. Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2023 Due to his inconstancy and Angie’s growing attachment, their flimsy relationship operated on a timescale of eras coalescing into matters of historical record. Hannah Gold, Harper’s Magazine , 26 Oct. 2022 But, in the hands of the Fleet Foxes, the pastoral feels less like a particular zone in time and more like a space in which to parse ideas of self-reliance, the inconstancy of love, the pain of intimacy, the fear of loss, the sting of betrayal, and the strange but urgent project of hope. Brandon Taylor, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2022 Over the past 20 years, the United States has undermined its own global leadership by inconstancy. Damon Linker, The Week, 9 June 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inconstancy
Noun
  • Sturla Holm Lægreid’s spectacular on-air confession of infidelity didn’t win him any points with his ex-girlfriend.
    James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Lægreid, who previously won gold in the relay at the Beijing Olympics in 2022 and has 14 world championship medals to his name, explained on Tuesday that he was prompted to address the breakup and infidelity publicly in the hopes of reconciliation.
    Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The danger is greatest during temperature fluctuations.
    Ross Guidotti, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
  • By decoding the core mechanics of turbulent fluctuations, this research offers a new lens through which to view everything from the vast circulation of global oceans to the high-pressure environments inside jet engines.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Ken Paxton, a Republican running for the Senate, denied the adultery allegations.
    Jane Harper, Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026
  • The book presents itself as a comic take on the classic adultery novel and a send-up of a narrow, self-conscious group of downwardly mobile New Yorkers.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • This oscillation between rage at one’s own powerlessness and fantasies of violence is the song’s motive force.
    Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2026
  • The operational detector will precisely image interactions using detailed 3D tracking, enabling measurement of neutrino oscillations, as well as differences between neutrinos and antineutrinos.
    Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • It’s filled with super-heightened emotions; unrestrained passion, betrayal, evil and even a magic spell or two.
    David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Feb. 2026
  • What’s most striking about the response is the sense of betrayal about Aronofsky’s involvement.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Research on group dynamics shows that dissent is often interpreted as disloyalty rather than contribution.
    Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
  • The courts have warned against treating dissent as disloyalty.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • More recently, an al Qaeda operative and suspected mastermind behind the 2000 USS Cole bombing — in which suicide bombers sidled up alongside a US warship, waved to the sailors and then detonated explosives — was charged with perfidy, among other crimes.
    Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
  • The report has raised concerns of perfidy, an act of deception by military forces.
    Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 13 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Inconstancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inconstancy. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.

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