1
as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence
a year of unsteady economic growth
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2
as in volatile
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
in the days of sailing ships, mariners were constantly at the mercy of unsteady winds
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3
as in unstable
not being in or able to maintain a state of balance
cautiously climbed up the unsteady ladder
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4
as in uneven
not staying constant
unsteady business conditions that rattled investors
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unsteady
Retailers have been forced to work harder to win customer dollars, and demand has been unsteady as consumers think twice before buying things that may be wants rather than needs.
—
Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2024
His government collapsed in November in a budget dispute but his coalition had been unsteady for months.
—Sebastian Shukla, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024
Williams smelled strongly of alcohol and had slurred speech, was unsteady on his feet and had bloodshot eyes, police said.
—Kirsten Fiscus, The Tennessean, 18 Oct. 2024
Not only did the competition not see the future of payments through the unsteady rise of PayPal, neither did the talented within Silicon Valley.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unsteady 
Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2024
His government collapsed in November in a budget dispute but his coalition had been unsteady for months.
—Sebastian Shukla, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024
Williams smelled strongly of alcohol and had slurred speech, was unsteady on his feet and had bloodshot eyes, police said.
—Kirsten Fiscus, The Tennessean, 18 Oct. 2024
Not only did the competition not see the future of payments through the unsteady rise of PayPal, neither did the talented within Silicon Valley.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unsteady
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsteady
Adjective
-
Bird flu viruses typically don’t infect humans, aside from sporadic cases in people who have close contact with infected animals.—
Berkeley Lovelace Jr.,
NBC News,
17 Jan. 2025
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Light, sporadic snow will continue in the Denver area through Sunday, forecasters said.—
Lauren Penington,
The Denver Post,
15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But, looking at a slightly longer period, the increase in MMM stock over the last four-year period has been far from consistent, with annual returns being more volatile than the S&P 500.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
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Trump has pledged to hand management of his assets to his children, but ethics experts have criticized his crypto ventures as raising conflict of interest issues and stoking speculation in a volatile asset class.—
Tom Westbrook,
USA TODAY,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But then he got trapped when the canyon became steep and unstable, park officials said.—
Helena Wegner,
Sacramento Bee,
20 Jan. 2025
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Park rangers at Death Valley National Park in California rescued a man who got stranded in a steep and unstable gully, the National Park Service said Sunday.—
Kierra Frazier,
CBS News,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Tackle dryness, fine lines, and uneven tone, while supporting your barrier.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
23 Jan. 2025
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The products effectively target signs of aging thanks to powerful formulas that contain ingredients like caffeine, antioxidants, vitamin E, vitamin F, and other proprietary blends that smooth uneven skin tone, dullness, and wrinkles.—
Taylor Lane,
Flow Space,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Battery experts would expect the intermittent pulses of charge, which have a higher C-rate than continuous charging models, to age batteries faster than standard procedures do.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
29 Jan. 2025
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Preceded by intermittent spatter fountains earlier in the afternoon, sustained fountaining began from the north vent, feeding multiple lava streams.—
Jonathan Granoff,
Newsweek,
28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Aside from the ingenious creation of Moretti and his occasionally unpredictable behavior, the film fails at creating interesting characters, deploying suspense, and even delivering some cheap thrills.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
28 Jan. 2025
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And is the finale as unpredictable as the footage leads us to believe?—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Tom Edge, who has written the bulk of the TV series, and Sue Tully, the show’s longtime director, wisely make no attempt to put those reams of online chatter onscreen, settling for the occasional spoken reference.—
Mike Hale,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2025
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Breathe Better Air pollution hides inside our homes, causing health effects ranging from the occasional sneeze to chronic respiratory issues.—
Anna Haines,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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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.—
Jordan Kisner Jack Davison,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2022
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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
Thesaurus Entries Near unsteady
Cite this Entry
“Unsteady.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsteady. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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