fluctuating 1 of 2

adjective

ˈflək-chə-ˌwā-tiŋ How to pronounce fluctuating (audio)
Definition of fluctuatingnext
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

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2
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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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
The recent confluence of record visitor volume, fluctuating boundaries, climate anomalies and staffing shortages is fundamentally increasing the risks of owning, acquiring or starting a business in a gateway economy. — Nancy Forster-Holt, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2026 The Forest Service notes that waterfall conditions constantly change because of erosion, shifting debris and fluctuating water flows, making even familiar locations potentially hazardous. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026 Slopes that are not terraced require plants that establish quickly, tolerate fluctuating soil moisture levels, and require little care once established. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 11 Aug. 2026 While training camp shows fluctuating results, the Packers are committed to improving their ball-hawking mentality. — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Paired with the Switch 2’s VRR tech, the game can target higher frame rates while eliminating the screen tearing that comes with fluctuating frame rates (at least in handheld mode, since VRR support is absent in docked play). — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026 High operating costs and fluctuating trends in private donation were also cited as reasons for the shutdown. — News Desk, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026 This centralized setup allows engineers to monitor fluctuating weather patterns and balance power output across different sections of the facility. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Aug. 2026 His fluctuating weight, ruddy cheeks and occasionally ill-fitting attire — commenters on social media rarely needed an excuse to zero in on him. — Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fluctuating
  1. volatile
  2. changing
  3. varying
  4. unpredictable
  5. uneven
  6. shifting
  7. changeful
  8. unstable
Adjective
  • Back in the early 1980s, amid a volatile chicken market, McDonald’s needed help pricing their nuggets and limiting the risk of menu price fluctuations.
    — Sarah Glodek, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Historically, memory has been a volatile, highly cyclical industry.
    — Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of volatile
Adjective
  • 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.
    — Evan Moore December 19, Charlotte Observer, 19 Dec. 2025
Definition of changing
Verb
  • The early days of pickleball saw a mix of outdoor and indoor play, on varying surfaces, and these generic tennis shoes proved decent on some surfaces but inadequate on others.
    — Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile, rare booksellers continue to flag strange orders, recognizing that most sincere buyers tend to seek out single books, not order large batches of widely varying selections.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of varying
Adjective
  • Some have been Ukrainian drones knocked off course by Russian electronic warfare, such as the jamming of navigation signals, which can make their flight paths unpredictable and complicate decisions about whether and where to shoot them down.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Carefully evaluate both options, then, before making a final decision and don't discount the advantages of splitting your funds between both account types, which may be your best recourse in today's still uneven and unpredictable economic terrain.
    — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of unpredictable
Adjective
  • Engineers maintained extremely gentle gradients across long distances while using tunnels, channels, and arched bridges to cross uneven terrain.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Both players have been uneven throughout training camp, but Klubnik is the frontrunner to win the job and was the better player against the Buccaneers.
    — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of uneven
Verb
  • And constantly shifting that on set with all of the characters.
    — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Youthful ambition bequeathed them unpredictably shifting time signatures, a daunting nylon-string intro, some odd musical shifts during the guitar-solo section, and a long list of other complexities.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 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
  • At the same time, categorical funding can be unstable from year to year due to changing priorities and how much money the state has to appropriate.
    — Jason Burns, The Conversation, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Inside a fusion machine, the plasma can reach temperatures hotter than the Sun’s core while powerful magnetic fields squeeze it into a tiny, unstable space.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of unstable

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Cite this Entry

“Fluctuating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fluctuating. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of fluctuating for Spanish Speakers

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