verb · academic
fluctuate
/ˈflʌktʃueɪt/FLUC·tu·ate
task1
to change level up and down over time, not in a steady way
Examples
“Monthly sales fluctuated throughout the year.”
“Prices have fluctuated between $10 and $15.”
“The unemployment rate fluctuates with seasonal demand.”
Band 8 sentence
“Across the decade the figures fluctuated markedly, reflecting seasonal demand and sporadic supply issues.”
Collocations
- fluctuate between
- fluctuate around
- fluctuate wildly
Word family
fluctuate verbfluctuation nounfluctuating adjective / participle
Common mistakes
There were many fluctuation in price→There were many fluctuations in price
The rate fluctuated on 5% last month→The rate fluctuated around 5% last month
Say it for a higher band
5change→6vary→7+fluctuate
Synonyms
vary
oscillate
Easily confused
vary
“The unemployment rate varied slightly throughout the year.”
Related words
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In Peaks & troughs
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