To rise and fall irregularly in amount, level, or value.
“Gas prices have fluctuated throughout the year due to changes in global supply.”
“Visitor numbers at the park tend to fluctuate depending on the weather.”
In Part 3 articles involving data such as prices, temperatures, or statistics, 'fluctuate' signals instability or variation rather than a steady rise or fall. This distinction matters because a question may ask you to identify a paragraph describing unpredictable change versus one describing a consistent trend.
Synonyms: vary, waver, oscillate