stabilize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make or hold stable, firm, or steadfast.
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to maintain at a given or unfluctuating level or quantity.
The government will try to stabilize the cost of living.
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Aeronautics. to put or keep (an aircraft) in stable equilibrium, as by some special device.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to make or become stable or more stable
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to keep or be kept stable
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to put or keep (an aircraft, vessel, etc) in equilibrium by one or more special devices, or (of an aircraft, vessel, etc) to become stable
Other Word Forms
- restabilize verb (used with object)
- self-stabilized adjective
- self-stabilizing adjective
- stabilization noun
- unstabilized adjective
- unstabilizing adjective
Etymology
Origin of stabilize
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On one channel, the war is a high-stakes effort to stabilize a critical artery of the global economy.
From Salon • Apr. 1, 2026
Over time, well-managed private-credit platforms should stabilize and recover — but near term, the biggest U.S. banks appear better positioned to offer investors predictable return for less risk.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026
“Investors appear reluctant to re-engage with the longer-term hard-asset narrative until both macro conditions stabilize and the technical picture turns more supportive.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
The ruling allows the Milei government to continue building its reserves of U.S. dollars, which is crucial to stabilize the economy and attract investments.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
Nailer thought he saw the captain clinging to a rail, trying to send her people out to stabilize the wreck.
From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
