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
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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
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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
Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 7 Jan. 2026
Hydrangea plants also benefit from protection against fluctuating winter temperatures, which can disturb the roots and crown.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 4 Jan. 2026
This often leads to fluctuating prices in North Texas.
—Yamil Berard, Dallas Morning News, 4 Jan. 2026
Instead of lining up neatly like tiny compass needles, as magnets usually do, their spins remain restless, fluctuating endlessly even near absolute zero.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 29 Dec. 2025
And while some rentals in the area offer on-site care at fluctuating market rates, as a Continuing Care Retirement Community, The Vi provides compassionate care at a more predictable cost, since those rates are built into a resident’s monthly fees.
—Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025
In principle, besides fluctuating stars transients can be associated with other things, too, such as extreme space weather events impinging on the upper atmosphere, sunlight glinting off reflective objects near Earth, as well as flaws in the telescope or the imaging process.
—Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2025
The dress is made from a fine-gauge knit that offers warmth without feeling bulky, which is essential for fluctuating weather.
—Rachel Trujillo, Travel + Leisure, 26 Oct. 2025
The reasons for price hikes are many, but fluctuating natural gas prices and the costs of maintaining adequate transmission capacity are among the obvious culprits, to say nothing of increasing demand.
—Yaël Ossowski, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
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.
—Verb
Plus, Malekzadeh said that the estrogen changes in the rats happened abruptly, which doesn’t reflect the gradual and fluctuating loss women experience due to perimenopause and menopause.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for fluctuating
Adjective
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Key's Jerry is a disruption through and through, knocking everything just a little off-kilter with each volatile appearance.—
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Paul Weller is still a godlike figure, but the Jam themselves had a really distinct chemistry and sounded very volatile onstage and are among the great punk groups.—
Adjective
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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.—
Verb
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However, some hard-drive bags that are suited to house hard drives of varying sizes and manufacturers may not always offer an ideal fit.—
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Both paths risk armed conflict of varying severity, with wide-ranging consequences for the country’s future stability.—
Adjective
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Austin immigration advocates have argued that similar changes in Austin, and a lack of clarification from the police department on its policy, sends a message that contact with officers — even as a victim or witness — carries unpredictable risks for immigrant families.—
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The occurrence of abdominal pain is often unpredictable and can change over time.—
Adjective
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Future work will focus on integrating snow-deposition modeling with PV yield simulations to more accurately predict energy losses and on expanding analyses to more complex, uneven alpine terrain.—
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The Trojans' uneven season hasn't exactly helped slow rumors either.—
Verb
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Balance these with dependable evergreen trees for an ever-shifting palette of color in the landscape.—
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Frequent drone and artillery attacks on the key highway and rail line have forced Kyiv to find alternative supply routes, shifting the hub function away from Pokrovsk – a major success for the Russians.—
Adjective
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Rigorous, blustery winter; winding sleety spring; hot, moist enervating summer; changeful autumn with its dog-days; these are absolutely unknown.—
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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.—
Adjective
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On Monday morning, the Sierra Avalanche Center reported that the recent storm was beginning to wind down, but warned that avalanche risks remained elevated due to strong winds and unstable snow.—
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The last two drafts are starting to come together, specifically the 2023 group, to form a foundation that can keep the need for relying on the unstable free-agent market to a slightly lower level.—
Cite this Entry
“Fluctuating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fluctuating. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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