destabilize
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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destabilizesimple
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destabilizessimple
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have destabilizedperfect
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has destabilizedperfect
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am destabilizingprogressive
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are destabilizingprogressive
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is destabilizingprogressive
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have been destabilizingperfect progressive
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has been destabilizingperfect progressive
Past
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destabilizedsimple
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had destabilizedperfect
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was destabilizingprogressive
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were destabilizingprogressive
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had been destabilizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of destabilize
Explanation
To destabilize something is to undermine it, or to make it much less stable. Seeming uncertain or confused can destabilize a teacher's ability to control a class. Political protesters might seek to destabilize a government or other institution, and lying to your best friend can destabilize your relationship. In both cases, the underlying stability of a situation is shaken, or made less sturdy. The earliest use of destabilize was in a physical sense, if something was literally unstable or shaky. By the 1920s, the word came to also have a more political meaning.
Vocabulary lists containing destabilize
Africa - Middle School
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Africa - High School
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Earth Science - Middle School
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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.
"Iran's history goes back thousands of years. Things like this only make us stronger; they won't destabilize the team," boasted the Iranian-American, who had traveled from San Diego, just across the border in California.
From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026
Despite the pointed rhetoric, Sheinbaum has stopped short of accusing Trump directly of trying to destabilize her government.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026
In many laser architectures, these nonlinear effects can destabilize the laser pulses.
From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2026
Critics worry that such a move would destabilize the economy and cause mortgage rates to spike.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026
“It seems to me that you are all determined to start a panic that will destabilize everything we have worked for these last thirteen years!”
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
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.
