MEANING
To make an arrangement or system less secure, steady, or predictable.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- destabilize an economy
- destabilize a coalition
On the page
The abrupt resignation destabilized the coalition.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- destabilize
- Past tense
- destabilized
- Past participle
- destabilized
- Present participle
- destabilizing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- destabilize
- Present continuous
- am/is/are destabilizing
- Present perfect
- have/has destabilized
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been destabilizing
- Past
- destabilized
- Past continuous
- was/were destabilizing
- Past perfect
- had destabilized
- Past perfect continuous
- had been destabilizing
- Future
- will destabilize
- Future continuous
- will be destabilizing
- Future perfect
- will have destabilized
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been destabilizing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: destabilize; destabilizes; destabilized; destabilized; destabilizing Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: change, causation. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: destabilizes.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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