as in unsteadiness
the quality or state of not being firmly fixed in position
the instability of the bridge became tragically apparent when it suddenly collapsed
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Recent Examples of instability
Elsewhere, the maps captured the fingerprints of conflict and economic instability.
—
Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 20 May 2026
Meanwhile, another group gathered outside the Capitol for a news conference to raise awareness about the instability caused by federal healthcare cuts.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
Lee said bilateral cooperation was needed more than ever due to instability in supply chains and energy markets caused by the war in the Middle East.
—ABC News, 19 May 2026
The instability has left hundreds of thousands unable to plan for the future, and with months-long lapses in legal status.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for instability
Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 20 May 2026
Meanwhile, another group gathered outside the Capitol for a news conference to raise awareness about the instability caused by federal healthcare cuts.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
Lee said bilateral cooperation was needed more than ever due to instability in supply chains and energy markets caused by the war in the Middle East.
—ABC News, 19 May 2026
The instability has left hundreds of thousands unable to plan for the future, and with months-long lapses in legal status.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for instability
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instability
Noun
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Those dates were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and later canceled following Dion's 2022 diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that includes rigidity and stiffness of certain areas of the body, causing unsteadiness, slower movements and difficulties walking.—
Shafiq Najib,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Can’t slam anyone for that, and the unsteadiness was real and the moment was more poignant because of it.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The premise brings together urban precariousness, conspiracy and genre mechanics.—
Emiliano de Pablos,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
-
But the Damascene realization regarding the precariousness of American manufacturing that followed spurred a flurry of activity in Washington—as well as among nations that balked at an authoritarian superpower effectively having a permanent kill switch over their industrial output.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But for another group of Black women, the same question elicits feelings of insecurity and defensiveness.—
Annie Blay-Tettey,
Allure,
14 May 2026
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Fils-Aimé was in Italy visiting Pope Leo XIV when the violence erupted, and has been under fire for not doing more to address the rising insecurity, while the GSF itself has yet to fully deploy or engage in operations.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instability.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instability. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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