FLUCTUATING Synonyms: 96 Similar and Opposite Words

fluctuating 1 of 2

adjective

ˈflək-chə-ˌwā-tiŋ

Definition of fluctuating

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

as in changing

not staying constant our speed was constantly fluctuating, so the figure of 50 miles per hour is just an average

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fluctuating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of fluctuate

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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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 fluctuating

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

Gray noise, per The New York Times, may sound like wind blowing or steady rainfall and works for apartment dwellers sensitive to sharp or fluctuating noises. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026 Their model links the ytterbium moments with the directionally fluctuating manganese spins. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026 An active Pacific region Hurricane Polo has been a powerful storm, at times fluctuating between Category 4 and Category 5. — Kerry Breen, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026 Farmers are struggling under the pressure of higher energy costs, tariffs and fluctuating crop prices. — Jarrell Dillard, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2026 Transit technology must be built to accommodate these day-to-day scenarios while handling fluctuating demand, changing government policies and emerging industry trends. — Miroslav Katsarov, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026 However, expectations have been volatile and highly dependent on data as well as fluctuating energy prices, making the stakes for Friday’s release even higher. — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026 Their failure to receive one may be attributed to their having vague symptoms, such as a general feeling of malaise, weakness, or fluctuating muscle pain. — Jerome Groopman, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026 Studying the effects of this fluctuating luminescence on interpreting gesture may tell us whether speech has significant benefits around an evening campfire. — Mike McRae 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fluctuating

Adjective

The researchers focused on volatile elements such as sodium, zinc and potassium, which evaporate easily at high temperatures.

— Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Gonzales pointed to the volatile state budget’s dependence on tax revenue from wealthy Californians, some of whom have proactively moved out of the state because of the proposal.

— Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of volatile

Adjective

Conflict in mining regions, disputed licenses, slow permitting, and unpredictable enforcement have long deterred Western investors, while Chinese operators have been better able to absorb those risks.

— Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Long Tiddie Short Story is unmistakably her — honest, unpredictable and incredibly funny.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of unpredictable

Adjective

In addition, the distribution of that wealth is uneven as certain households own substantial property and investment portfolios while others don’t.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
Mud is a dynamic if uneven vehicle for Wolf, a vocalist with a showman’s need for climax.

— Enzo Escober, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of uneven

Verb

Results from consumer goods and aviation majors typically offer an early read on shifting fuel expenses, freight costs, and end consumer demand.

— , CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
Climate volatility, shifting regulatory pressures and economic uncertainty are rapidly transforming cotton farming from a traditional agricultural endeavor into a complex, high-stakes business challenge.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of shifting

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
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

Definition of changeful

Adjective

Numerous tornado warnings were also issued for parts of South Carolina and Georgia as the remnants of Isaias move northward and help create supercells of rain and unstable air, according to National Weather Service alerts and forecasts.

— Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026
The changes produce new attractors that correspond to stable cell types in the low-lying valleys; unstable gene-activity configurations constitute the high ground.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of unstable

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fluctuates

fluctuating

fluctuation

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“Fluctuating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fluctuating. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of fluctuating

adjective

verb

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