destabilize

American  

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

especially British, destabilise

verb (used with object)

destabilized, destabilizing

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

• destabilization noun

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

Instead of protecting cells, the heightened repair activity can harm neurons and destabilize the genome, which may increase the risk of cancer.

From Science Daily • Mar. 15, 2026

These actions have threatened to destabilize a school system with large numbers of immigrant families.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

While acknowledging there are geopolitical risks stemming from, say, an escalation in hostilities with Iran, that could disrupt and destabilize markets, any dips should prove to be buying opportunities, the report says.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 23, 2026

Within it, Briggs describes concrete strategies that military aggressors employ to destabilize their opponents, but the indirect impacts achieve the same as the direct.

From Salon • Feb. 7, 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

Related Words

• diminish
• lessen
• thwart
• undermine