fluctuate around

USAGE SUMMARY

"fluctuate around" is an acceptable phrase that can be used in written English.
It means to vary or change in range, amount, or degree around an average or another number. Example sentence: The temperature of the room tends to fluctuate around 75 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

They fluctuate around the average direction of the emergent flow.

Nature

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

Under the influence of an external magnetic field, Coulomb blockade resonances fluctuate around an average energy and the gap shrinks as a function of magnetic field.

Carbon

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

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "fluctuate around" when you want to describe variations that occur within a limited range or close to a central value. It implies that there isn't a constant direction, but rather an oscillation.

Common error

Avoid using "fluctuate around" when you actually mean a consistent upward or downward trend. "Fluctuate around" indicates movement back and forth, not a steady increase or decrease. For continuous growth/decline use something such as "increase steadily".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fluctuate around" primarily functions as a verb phrase. It describes the action of something varying or oscillating within a certain range. Ludwig's examples show its use in describing prices, temperatures, and other measurable quantities.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

68%

News & Media

23%

Encyclopedias

4%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Reference

2%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "fluctuate around" is a common verb phrase used to describe how something varies within a limited range or close to a central value. As Ludwig AI states, the phrase is grammatically acceptable and commonly employed. The phrase is versatile, appearing in scientific publications, news reports, and encyclopedias. When writing, use "fluctuate around" to describe variations that occur within a limited range or close to a central value; avoid it when describing a consistent upward or downward trend. Alternatives include "vary around" or ""oscillate about"".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

oscillate about

This alternative suggests a rhythmic back-and-forth movement around a central point.

vary around

This phrase simply indicates changes or differences within a certain limit.

deviate from

This option implies a departure from a standard or expected value, with an emphasis on divergence.

revolve around

Suggests movement in a circular path around a central point, applicable when the fluctuation has a cyclical aspect.

waver near

Emphasizes instability or uncertainty in position, close to a certain point or value.

hover around

Implies remaining in a particular location or state, with minor variations.

undulate about

This alternative suggests a wavelike motion or appearance around a central point.

shift near

Emphasizes a slight change of position or direction, remaining close to a certain value.

swing near

Implies a movement like an arc close to a certain value.

tend toward

This expresses a general direction rather than fluctuation, showing a drift in value.

FAQs

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

Use "fluctuate around" to describe something that varies within a limited range. For example, "The stock price tends to "oscillate about" a certain average value."

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

In more formal contexts, you can use "vary around" or ""oscillate about"" which both convey a similar meaning of variation around a central point.

Is it correct to say "fluctuate at" instead of "fluctuate around"?

While you can say something "fluctuates at" a certain level, "fluctuate around" is more precise when describing variations above and below that level. "Fluctuate at" simply implies the value is changing, but not necessarily around a specific point.

What does "fluctuate around" imply about the data being described?

It implies that the data points are not consistently increasing or decreasing, but rather varying above and below a central or average value. This can suggest a natural variability or a system seeking equilibrium.