fluctuate
To rise and fall irregularly in number or amount.
writing-task-1Work and economy
IELTS use
Describe unstable trends in line graphs, tables, or charts without saying 'go up and down'.
Examples
- The price of oil fluctuated significantly throughout the year.
- The number of tourists fluctuated between 2,000 and 4,000 per month.
Collocations
- fluctuate wildly
- Stock prices fluctuated wildly during the economic crisis.
- fluctuate between
- Temperatures fluctuated between 15 and 30 degrees Celsius.
- fluctuate over time
- The data shows that the rate fluctuated over time.
Word family
- Noun
- fluctuation
- Verb
- fluctuate
- Adjective
- fluctuating
Paraphrases
- vary irregularly: Used when describing unstable patterns.
- rise and fall: More general and less formal for describing changes.
Common mistakes
- The number fluctuated up and down. to The number fluctuated.. 'Fluctuate' already means moving up and down; 'up and down' is redundant.
- It fluctuated very much. to It fluctuated significantly / considerably / wildly.. Use precise adverbs to modify 'fluctuate'.