destabilize
Americanverb (used with object)
-
destabilizes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
destabilized,
past participle, past
-
destabilizing
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
destabilizesimple
-
destabilizessimple
-
have destabilizedperfect
-
has destabilizedperfect
-
am destabilizingprogressive
-
are destabilizingprogressive
-
is destabilizingprogressive
-
have been destabilizingperfect progressive
-
has been destabilizingperfect progressive
Past
-
destabilizedsimple
-
had destabilizedperfect
-
was destabilizingprogressive
-
were destabilizingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Africa - High School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Earth Science - Middle School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
“Without relief, Defendants’ calculated campaign will continue to inflict fear, to destabilize SAL’s operations, and to cause further irreparable harm.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
"Because chronic stress is a risk factor for dementia, our study reveals a critical mechanism for how stress hormones destabilize this sensitive region," explains Akan.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
The BIS noted that AI investment faces bottlenecks in energy and semiconductors, and a bust could destabilize the financial system.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
California’s budget experts have warned that maintaining full Medi-Cal coverage for immigrants without seeking additional revenue would destabilize the state’s long-term fiscal outlook.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
They might “build on public panic to further destabilize the system by disseminating rumors” and therefore “increase media coverage” and “stress the public health system.”
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
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
It spreads into South Sudan, it destabilizes South Sudan, it spreads into Chad, it’s got refugees in Egypt.
From Slate ● Nov. 20, 2025
Nick’s energized romantic do-si-do destabilizes the group, and gives them something new to gossip about and compare their own lives with as they wobble through the ensuing year.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 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
When the new actin subunit arrives, its incorporation onto the filament destabilizes the formin arrangement and requires the stable half-ring to step onto the new subunit and become loose, while the other half-ring becomes stable.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 16, 2024
Even healthy firms with strong reputations can be destabilized if they lose key people or practice groups.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
As someone who was a freelance writer for about a year, I can empathize with the desire to keep your life flexible while also feeling destabilized by the lack of structure.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
“The revolving door of leadership and a compliance-driven culture created conditions where schools were destabilized and community trust was shattered.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
In January 2022, the landfast sea ice in the embayment suddenly broke apart, likely due to powerful ocean swells that destabilized the region.
From Science Daily ● May 19, 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
And this stoic performance comes despite a number of potentially destabilizing factors, including volatility in the oil market and in the technology sector.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 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
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
