destabilize

verb

de·​sta·​bi·​lize (ˌ)dē-ˈstā-bə-ˌlīz How to pronounce destabilize (audio)
destabilized; destabilizing; destabilizes

transitive verb

1
: to make unstable
2
: to cause (something, such as a government) to be incapable of functioning or surviving

Examples of destabilize in a Sentence

The group hoped the assassination of the new President would destabilize the government. Economists warn that the crisis could destabilize the nation's currency.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Published by the American Institute of Physics, in the journal Physics of Fluids, the study framed the dish as a technical problem: a sauce destabilized by heat and starch, solvable through precise emulsification timing and temperature control. Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025 The legislation recognizes that increasing carbon emissions are worsening weather events, including hurricanes and droughts, and destabilizing Hawaii's climate, as well as its property insurance sector. Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025 Russia, lacking the economic heft or cultural appeal of the U.S. or China, has mastered sharp power out of necessity, using it to destabilize, distract and divide. Andrew Latham, The Conversation, 29 Apr. 2025 These bad actors engaged in patient brokering, insurance fraud and practices that endangered lives and destabilized neighborhoods. Rob Long, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for destabilize

Word History

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of destabilize was in 1924

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Cite this Entry

“Destabilize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destabilize. Accessed 8 May. 2025.

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