Fluctuate around

USAGE SUMMARY

"Fluctuate around" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to describe something that changes or varies around a certain amount, level, or point. Example: The temperature of the room tended to fluctuate around 70 degrees.

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

After dredging of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in Texas (late 1940s) and barrier island passes and inlets in Texas and Mexico, salinities have moderated and fluctuate around 40.

Plosone

After adjustment, the SMRs of the patient view classes in our study will fluctuate around 93.

BMC Health Services Research

On the other hand, both the corresponding nPOG and nPOGR scores fluctuate around zero as the list length increases (Fig. 1).

Bioinformatics

In other words, some data derived from the environment are not constant but fluctuate around some average value due to continuous fluctuations in the environment.

Advances in Difference Equations

When there is a negative mechanism, it reshapes the diffusion to fluctuate around a middle-level rate, hence generating fluctuating diffusion curves.

Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

This error reaches a fluctuation status around the number of, where the modeling error starts to fluctuate around a constant value.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Lack of regulation in many countries means standards fluctuate around the world.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

2.11pm The lead continues to fluctuate around the 11-minute-mark.

The Guardian - Sport

Instead, their share prices fluctuate around the value of their portfolio holdings, leaving them trading either at a premium or a discount.

The New York Times

Those measures focus only on how much the stock market's shorter-term returns fluctuate around the long-term average, Professor Stambaugh says.

The New York Times

I think our job is to keep the economy at full employment and price stability and let asset markets fluctuate around that.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "fluctuate around" when you want to describe variations that occur near a central or average value. For instance, "Stock prices tend to fluctuate around their long-term average."

Common error

Avoid using "fluctuate around" when the variations are consistently trending upwards or downwards rather than oscillating near a central point. In such cases, "increase" or "decrease" might be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fluctuate around" functions as a verb phrase that describes the action of varying or oscillating near a specific value or level. Ludwig AI confirms its usability. Examples show its use in describing changes in temperature, prices, and other measurable quantities.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

55%

News & Media

30%

Encyclopedias

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "fluctuate around" is a versatile verb phrase used to describe variations near a specific value or level. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and common usage across various contexts. It is particularly prevalent in scientific, news, and encyclopedic sources, indicating its neutrality and wide applicability. While alternative phrases like "vary about" and "oscillate about" exist, "fluctuate around" clearly conveys the idea of variation near a central tendency. Remember to reserve its use for situations where the variations are indeed around a central point, avoiding its application to consistently trending data.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

vary about

Emphasizes a change or deviation from a central point or value.

oscillate about

Suggests a regular back-and-forth movement around a central point.

revolve around

Implies that something is central and other things depend on it.

hover around

Suggests remaining in the vicinity of something but not directly interacting.

pivot around

Indicates a turning or rotating movement based on central point.

waver around

Emphasizes instability or uncertainty around a level or point.

shift about

Focuses on the movement or change, often without a specific central point.

undulate around

Describes a wave-like motion around a central axis or point.

cycle around

Conveys a sense of periodic or recurring movement around a value.

drift about

Indicates a gradual or unintentional movement around a position or value.

FAQs

How can I use "fluctuate around" in a sentence?

Use "fluctuate around" to describe something that varies or changes near a specific value or level. For example, "The temperature will fluctuate around 20 degrees Celsius today."

What's a good alternative to "fluctuate around"?

Depending on the context, you could use "vary about", "oscillate about", or "revolve around".

Is it correct to say "fluctuate around" or is there a better way to phrase it?

"Fluctuate around" is a correct and commonly used phrase. Its suitability depends on the context, but it's generally acceptable when describing variations around a central value.

What does "fluctuate around" imply?

"Fluctuate around" implies that something changes or varies, but generally stays close to a specific level or value, rather than consistently increasing or decreasing.