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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of instability
Rodríguez said the country has now recorded 611 seismic events since the disaster began, including the two main earthquakes and 609 aftershocks, underscoring the persistent instability of the affected region.
—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
29 June 2026
Growing up surrounded by violence, addiction and instability, Hall saw firsthand how deeply crime can affect families and local residents.
—
Arkansas Online,
28 June 2026
The instability left Cambodia's temples unprotected and vulnerable to plunder that was often carried out by former Khmer Rouge child soldiers.
—
Will Croxton,
CBS News,
28 June 2026
That requires separating social media use from adolescent distress, loneliness, family instability, sleep disruption, bullying, genetics, psychiatric vulnerability, pandemic effects, and reverse causation.
—
Alex Smolak,
STAT,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for instability
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
29 June 2026
Growing up surrounded by violence, addiction and instability, Hall saw firsthand how deeply crime can affect families and local residents.
—
Arkansas Online,
28 June 2026
The instability left Cambodia's temples unprotected and vulnerable to plunder that was often carried out by former Khmer Rouge child soldiers.
—
Will Croxton,
CBS News,
28 June 2026
That requires separating social media use from adolescent distress, loneliness, family instability, sleep disruption, bullying, genetics, psychiatric vulnerability, pandemic effects, and reverse causation.
—
Alex Smolak,
STAT,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for instability
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instability
Noun
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Unlike dizziness — which causes lightheadedness or unsteadiness — vertigo feels more like spinning.
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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.
Noun
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But an Iranian diplomat promptly rejected this, saying such a visit can only come after a final deal — a denial that highlighted the precariousness of the ongoing negotiations.
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The shift isn’t merely spatial but symbolic, representing what Yeon sees as the precariousness of human civilization itself.
Noun
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While testing capacity has been improving, surveillance and contact tracing capacities remain constrained by insecurity, access restrictions and other factors, UNICEF reported.
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Housing insecurity compounds the problem further.
Cite this Entry
“Instability.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instability. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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