settle

verb

ˈse-tᵊl How to pronounce settle (audio)
Definition of settlenext
1
as in to lay
to cause to come to rest at the bottom (as of a liquid) the light rain will settle the dust in the air careful handling will settle the lees in the bottom of the wine bottle

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Relevance

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2
as in to inhabit
to supply with inhabitants the region was originally settled by farmers

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3
as in to decide
to give an opinion about (something at issue or in dispute) settled the lawsuit in favor of the defendant

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4
as in to arrange
to come to an agreement or decision concerning the details of settled their wedding plans without any major disagreements

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5
as in to perch
to come to rest after descending from the air birds settling on the branches of the maple tree

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6
as in to lodge
to establish or place comfortably or snugly settled the sleeping baby into her crib

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7
as in to compose
to free from distress or disturbance a hot meal settled the children down

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8
as in to contain
to gain emotional or mental control of settled himself only with visible effort after the angry outburst

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9
as in to pay
to give what is owed for settle a debt

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10
as in to determine
to make final, definite, or beyond dispute this information should settle the question of who is right

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11
as in to shush
to stop the noise or speech of settled the class with a firm "quiet!"

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb settle differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of settle are decide, determine, resolve, and rule. While all these words mean "to come or cause to come to a conclusion," settle implies a decision reached by someone with power to end all dispute or uncertainty.

the dean's decision settled the campus alcohol policy

When might decide be a better fit than settle?

While in some cases nearly identical to settle, decide implies previous consideration of a matter causing doubt, wavering, debate, or controversy.

she decided to sell her house

When is it sensible to use determine instead of settle?

The words determine and settle can be used in similar contexts, but determine implies fixing the identity, character, scope, or direction of something.

determined the cause of the problem

When would resolve be a good substitute for settle?

In some situations, the words resolve and settle are roughly equivalent. However, resolve implies an expressed or clear decision or determination to do or refrain from doing something.

he resolved to quit smoking

In what contexts can rule take the place of settle?

Although the words rule and settle have much in common, rule implies a determination by judicial or administrative authority.

the judge ruled that the evidence was inadmissible

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of settle The film was inspired by and is dedicated to director Maryam Touzani’s grandmother, part of the large Spanish community in Tangier that had fled the Franco regime and settled in the Northern Moroccan city in the 1930s. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2025 Despite Nacua’s strong performance, the Rams ultimately came up short against the 49ers in overtime after electing to go for it on fourth-and-short instead of settling for the tying field goal. —Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025 Alas, it was batted down at the line, and the Chiefs would settle for a field goal. —Sam McDowell 3, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2025 Florida was one of about 20 states that Centene settled with over claims of overbilling for Medicaid prescription drugs. —Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for settle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for settle
  1. lay
  2. inhabit
  3. decide
  4. arrange
  5. perch
  6. lodge
  7. compose
  8. contain
Verb
  • Brood parasites such as cuckoos lay their eggs in other birds’ nests, tricking the hosts into caring for their offspring at the expense of their own.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2025
  • In the opening scene, Swift is seen laying inside a painting with long blond hair and side bangs.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2025
Definition of lay
Verb
  • The Town of Campbell, outside of La Crosse, also discovered widespread PFAS contamination of private wells, likely stemming from the use of firefighting foam at the La Crosse Regional Airport, which inhabits a portion of the small island in between the Black and Mississippi Rivers.
    — Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 2 Oct. 2025
  • The movie follows the last human private detective in a futuristic world inhabited by humans and aliens.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2025
Definition of inhabit
Verb
  • Others believed Los Angeles should have put the deciding play in quarterback Matthew Stafford's hands.
    — Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
  • When seeking to prosecute someone, a state attorney can file charges against them or choose to present evidence before a grand jury, composed of citizens who then must decide whether there is probable cause to issue an indictment and move to a trial.
    — Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Definition of decide
Verb
  • Get our best clever painting hacks to extend the height of a room, space-saving storage ideas, and tips for arranging bedroom furniture.
    — Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Oct. 2025
  • In other words, this year, the Eagles’ opponents are more often presenting four deep defenders against their three wide receiver sets instead of deploying a single-high safety and arranging the remaining defenders to play closer to the line of scrimmage.
    — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Definition of arrange
Verb
  • Eleven days later, Sharon received a message through the Love Lost chat from a neighbor who spotted a cat perched on a roof near a vet's office.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
  • His reflective blue shades were perched atop a baseball cap, obscuring much of his face.
    — Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
Definition of perch
Verb
  • One month before the fatal shooting in August, on July 11, gunshots destroyed 11 windows at The Grand; Bullets entered the apartment building and lodged into cabinets and walls, the suit claims.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2025
  • That complaint saw the NCP launching an investigation into Shein; the MPs that lodged the complaint met with Shein and the French NCP in February for mediation.
    — Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 1 Oct. 2025
Definition of lodge
Verb
  • Across five starts, Thiaw has been quietly composed.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • During setup, NordLocker generates a 25-character recovery key, composed of numbers and capital letters, and advises you to store it in a secure location.
    — PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 7 Oct. 2025
Definition of compose
Verb
  • McSweeney’s elevation appeared bizarre, but Bailey and his selection team have openly stated their belief that the Test team should contain the best six batters regardless of position.
    — Sam Dalling, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • But much like Week 1 against Justin Herbert and the Chargers, the Chiefs’ inability to contain the opposing quarterback in timely spots lost them the football game.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
Definition of contain

Phrases Containing settle

Browse Nearby Words

setting upon
settle
settled
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Cite this Entry

“Settle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/settle. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on settle

Nglish: Translation of settle for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about settle

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