verb · neutral
fluctuate
/ˈflʌktʃueɪt/FLUC·tu·ate
Band 6-7task1task2
to change or vary irregularly, especially up and down
Examples
“Prices fluctuate depending on supply and demand.”
“Temperatures can fluctuate wildly in spring.”
“Student numbers fluctuated over the decade, peaking in 2012.”
Band 8 sentence
“Over the past year, the exchange rate has fluctuated in response to political uncertainty and policy shifts.”
Collocations
- fluctuate between
- prices fluctuate
- fluctuate widely
Word family
fluctuation nounfluctuating adj
Common mistakes
use 'vary' when meaning irregular up-down changes→use 'fluctuate'
Say it for a higher band
5change→6vary→7+fluctuate
Synonyms
vary
Easily confused
fluctuate vs. vary
“Oil prices often fluctuate due to geopolitical events.”
Related words
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In Sublist 8
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