destabilize

especially British, de·sta·bi·lise

[dee-stey-buh-lahyz]

verb (used with object)

destabilized, destabilizing 

1. to make unstable; rid of stabilizing attributes.

   conflicts that tend to destabilize world peace.

destabilize

/ diːˈsteɪbɪˌlaɪz /

verb

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

Other Word Forms

• destabilization noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of destabilize¹

First recorded in 1930–35; de- + stabilize

Example Sentences

Progerin harms cells by destabilizing their nucleus, the "control center" that manages cell activity.

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Normally, high levels of gallium destabilize the crystal, preventing superconductivity.

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In “Some Notes on Mediated Time,” she broods at length on the destabilizing effects of the internet, social media and the algorithm silos that shape our present.

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Negotiators are now working through the structure of the investment over concerns that the deal could trigger destabilizing capital outflows.

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But it is also an attempt to destabilize European democracies through energy blackmail and attacks on infrastructure.

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Related Words

• diminish 
• lessen 
• thwart 
• undermine