decide implies previous consideration of a matter causing doubt, wavering, debate, or controversy.
she decided to sell her house
determine implies fixing the identity, character, scope, or direction of something.
determined the cause of the problem
settle implies a decision reached by someone with power to end all dispute or uncertainty.
the dean's decision settled the campus alcohol policy
rule implies a determination by judicial or administrative authority.
the judge ruled that the evidence was inadmissible
resolve implies an expressed or clear decision or determination to do or refrain from doing something.
he resolved to quit smoking
Examples of settle in a Sentence
Verb
They were determined to settle the dispute before going home for the day.
The two sides have settled their differences.
We need to settle this question once and for all. That settles it. I can't take the day off from work, so I'm not going.
His grandparents were immigrants from Germany who settled in Pennsylvania.
He always thought he'd leave the city and settle in the country.
the people who settled the West See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Maybe applaud me for not settling, staying to true to myself, going after my dreams and working on myself in the interim to be the best version of me for the right person.—Jamie Ballard, Peoplemag, 10 Sep. 2023 That should become final over the next week, meaning McCord can settle in and start building on the things the Buckeyes have thrown out there for other teams to prepare for going forward.—Stephen Means, cleveland, 9 Sep. 2023 In 2016, Pop Warner settled a case brought by the mother of a former player who died by suicide at age 25 and was later found to have CTE, opening the door to other potential lawsuits.—Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2023 From there, Utah’s defense held its ground, and Baylor settled for a 24-yard field goal.—Aaron Falk, The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 Sep. 2023 Alabama settles for a 51-yard Will Reichard field goal attempt.—Matt Stahl | Mstahl@al.com, al, 9 Sep. 2023 An agreement to settle the suit was initially announced, without specifics, in July.—Jeremy Childs, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2023 Earlier this summer, as a brutal heat dome settled over Texas, the large pecan tree in my front yard started dropping limbs.—Megha Satyanarayana, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2023 With Billy Porter and Zac Posen serving as guest judges (Zac, in particular, is there in Brandon’s stead), the crowd—featuring myriad Project Runway familiar faces—settles in to witness the designers’ NYFW debut.—Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 8 Sep. 2023
Noun
The 30-year yield marked its highest settle since 2011.—WSJ, 17 Aug. 2023 San Diego hit an all-time high of $6.43 per gallon on Oct. 5, 2022, followed by consistent declines that saw the average price settle in the $4.40 range last Christmas.—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Aug. 2023 Plus, when river flows are weak, more sediment settles on the riverbed.—Raymond Zhong, New York Times, 6 June 2023 Any bonus bets earned from the evergreen promotion will be distributed 24 hours after the qualifying settles and will remain valid for up to seven days following distribution.—Ian Firstenberg, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2023 Restrictions and Terms Apply Visit site Once the first wager settles, users will either keep their winnings or get their full stake returned in bonus bets.—Ian Firstenberg, Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2023 But then the routine settles, sleep lengthens.—Alexandra Moe, The New Republic, 2 Mar. 2023 The National Weather Service in Huntsville said multiple rounds of rain and storms will be possible tonight as a stalled frontal boundary settles near northern Alabama.—Leigh Morgan, al, 1 Mar. 2023 My body goes numb in the cold water and a sense of calm settles in.—David Schechter, Haley Rush, CBS News, 21 Feb. 2023 See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'settle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English, to seat, bring to rest, come to rest, from Old English setlan, from setl seat
Noun
Middle English, place for sitting, seat, chair, from Old English setl; akin to Old High German sezzal seat, Latin sella seat, chair, Old English sittan to sit
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