unsettle

verb

un·​set·​tle ˌən-ˈse-tᵊl How to pronounce unsettle (audio)
unsettled; unsettling; unsettles

transitive verb

1
: to loosen or move from a settled state or condition : make unstable : disorder
2
: to perturb or agitate mentally or emotionally : discompose

Examples of unsettle in a Sentence

Such a sudden change will unsettle her. the news that the local grocery store had sold contaminated produce unsettled many shoppers
Recent Examples on the Web Still, despite the social media buzz, evidence for ketamine as a mental health treatment is unsettled. Darius Tahir, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024 Attorney General Frank Kelley opposes the NAACP Justice Lewis F. Powell, whose decision not to participate in the Richmond case helped produce the 4-4 deadlock that left the issue of metropolitan school integration unsettled, asked only a few minor, technical questions Wednesday. William Grant, Detroit Free Press, 3 Mar. 2024 Several of the justices were unsettled by the possibility that the laws could be applied to other sites, like Uber, without violating the Constitution. Brian Fung, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024 Across the country, districts have been unsettled by the makeup of their top academic programs, especially scant numbers of Black and Hispanic students, and many have implemented new admissions systems. Karina Elwood, Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2024 While magnetic in spurts, the aesthetic approach is seldom as lurid or unsettling as a translation of Ionesco deserves. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 Feb. 2024 To those rightfully unsettled by Keith’s thirst for blood, that song — and Toby Keith himself — became a symbol of all that’s wrong with Nashville, an easy shorthand for the most reactionary and regressive tendencies of country music. Nadine Smith, Rolling Stone, 6 Feb. 2024 The quick collapse of the Soviet Union and its Eastern European satraps unsettled both nations. Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023 Woes at Credit Suisse — before the UBS merger — and the two U.S. banks unsettled global financial markets in 2023. Jamey Keaten, Quartz, 6 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unsettle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unsettle was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near unsettle

Cite this Entry

“Unsettle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsettle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unsettle

verb
un·​set·​tle ˌən-ˈset-ᵊl How to pronounce unsettle (audio)
ˈən-
1
: to move or loosen from a settled state
2
: to make uneasy
change unsettles him

More from Merriam-Webster on unsettle

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