destabilize

[dee-stey-buh-lahyz]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR destabilize ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), de·sta·bi·lized, de·sta·bi·liz·ing.

to make unstable; rid of stabilizing attributes: conflicts that tend to destabilize world peace.

Also especially British, de·sta·bi·lise.

Origin of destabilize

First recorded in 1930–35; de- + stabilize

Related formsde·sta·bi·li·za·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for destabilize

diminish, thwart, lessen, undermine, minimize, foil, damage

Examples from the Web for destabilize

Contemporary Examples of destabilize

The lies are just the latest attempt to destabilize a fractured country.
Iraqi Insurgents Circulate the Lie That They Killed the Judge in Saddam’s Trial
Michael Newton
June 28, 2014
I believe that Iranian TV wishes to destabilize my family, who live in a small town.
Iran Says Take Off the Veil—and Be Raped
IranWire
June 9, 2014
Now they are in Donetsk region, many paid by Yanukovych, who is still dreaming to destabilize life in Ukraine.
War and Murder in Eastern Ukraine
Anna Nemtsova
May 27, 2014
A campaign to destabilize the country has escalated rapidly this year.
Up to Speed: What’s Happening to Nigeria’s Kidnapped Girls?
Nina Strochlic
May 7, 2014
Putin will seek to intimidate, apply pressure and destabilize.
Putin Can Take Ukraine Without an Invasion, and Probably Will
Jamie Dettmer
April 12, 2014

Historical Examples of destabilize

To convince the West of the quality of its wares, China demonstrates its capacity to destabilize in various corners of the world.
After the Rain
Sam Vaknin

British Dictionary definitions for destabilize

destabilize

destabilise

verb

(tr) to undermine or subvert (a government, economy, etc) so as to cause unrest or collapse

Derived Formsdestabilization or destabilisation, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for destabilize

1934 in a physical sense; earlier (1924) with reference to political systems, governments, nations, etc.; see de- + stabilize. Related: Destabilized; destabilizing.