destabilize

American  

[dee-stay-buh-lahyz] / diˈsteɪ bəˌlaɪz /

especially British, destabilise

verb (used with object)

• destabilizes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• destabilized,
  past participle,  past
• destabilizing
  present participle

1. to make unstable; rid of stabilizing attributes.

   conflicts that tend to destabilize world peace.

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destabilize British  

/ diːˈsteɪbɪˌlaɪz /

verb

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• destabilization
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• destabilizing
  present
• destabilized
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• destabilize
  simple
• destabilizes
  simple
• have destabilized
  perfect
• has destabilized
  perfect
• am destabilizing
  progressive
• are destabilizing
  progressive
• is destabilizing
  progressive
• have been destabilizing
  perfect progressive
• has been destabilizing
  perfect progressive

Past

• destabilized
  simple
• had destabilized
  perfect
• was destabilizing
  progressive
• were destabilizing
  progressive
• had been destabilizing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will destabilize
  simple
• will have destabilized
  perfect
• will be destabilizing
  progressive
• will have been destabilizing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of destabilize

First recorded in 1930–35; de- + stabilize

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

destabilize destabilizes destabilized destabilizing

Bach, the analyst, says such alleged arms transfers are “increasing the risk of an escalating multistate conflict that could destabilize the Horn of Africa.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Malkovich and Sam Rockwell play veteran CIA operatives who, after helping destabilize Salvador Allende’s government in 1973 Chile, head to Easter Island on a more personal assignment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

A collective exit can destabilize the system and create a scramble to balance power supply and demand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

Brokerages don’t like when shares are immediately resold because it can destabilize the IPO price and strain relationships with underwriters, Taube says.

From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 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

Now, the future of that strategy is in question as a warming planet destabilizes Himalayan glaciers—putting human lives and billions of dollars at risk, report Niharika Mandhana, Krishna Pokharel and Tripti Lahiri.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

According to the study, the buildup of toxic proteins destabilizes the outer membrane of the nucleus, causing it to shrink and eventually disintegrate.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026

It spreads into South Sudan, it destabilizes South Sudan, it spreads into Chad, it’s got refugees in Egypt.

From Slate ● Nov. 20, 2025

"That destabilizes many buildings, roads and infrastructure, but each bit is local and getting a complete picture is hard."

From Salon ● May 24, 2024

This abrupt shift in narration destabilizes the reader — like the tremor of an earthquake, or the sudden loss of vision in one eye that Tunde experiences from time to time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2023

If human disturbance makes it easier for new "invaders" to enter these relationships, even when those species are native, other mutualistic partnerships could also become destabilized.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

Even if the active fighting ends within weeks, the deeper concern is whether a destabilized Iran becomes a permanent source of risk on Dubai’s doorstep.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026

Surging energy prices destabilized stocks trading in Asia and Europe on Monday.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 2, 2026

Meanwhile, Tuesday marked four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine — a war that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and destabilized European security.

From Salon ● Feb. 25, 2026

I thought Ocean would wake up, dizzy and destabilized by this emotional train wreck to discover that it hadn’t been worth it, actually; that I hadn’t been worth it.

From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi

It’s a confounding and destabilizing experience for overachieving women used to being on top of every detail.

From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026

Even as Chinese policymakers blocked much of the internet’s destabilizing potential, they went all in on its ability to promote economic growth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

For her, it’s not just about someone who understands that rents are high or that groceries are expensive, but about a candidate who understands how destabilizing all those things can be.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

Directing Suda was its own destabilizing experience, he says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

Over and over again, I heard the same story: the police and the defense force were destabilizing the area.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• diminish
• lessen
• thwart
• undermine