unsettle
verb
un·set·tle
ˌən-ˈse-tᵊl 
unsettled; unsettling; unsettles
1
: to loosen or move from a settled state or condition : make unstable : disorder
2
: to perturb or agitate mentally or emotionally : discompose
: to become unsettled
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
One of my clients, a senior executive in a major technology company, shared how the organization's shifting priorities were unsettling the team.
—
Gamze Acar Bayraktaroglu, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Trump’s silence has kept the field unsettled, with each candidate angling to prove themselves as the one closest to him.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2025
From people discovered after swarms of flies are spotted inside a home to heartbreaking stories of pets found waiting with deceased owners, while unsettling, Snyder said that such occurrences are not as rare as many might believe.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
Each of these areas of my life plays a key role and contributes to my sense of purpose and normalcy, grounding me, especially when everything feels unsettled.
—Revathi Advaithi, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsettle
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Gamze Acar Bayraktaroglu, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Trump’s silence has kept the field unsettled, with each candidate angling to prove themselves as the one closest to him.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2025
From people discovered after swarms of flies are spotted inside a home to heartbreaking stories of pets found waiting with deceased owners, while unsettling, Snyder said that such occurrences are not as rare as many might believe.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
Each of these areas of my life plays a key role and contributes to my sense of purpose and normalcy, grounding me, especially when everything feels unsettled.
—Revathi Advaithi, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsettle
Cite this Entry
“Unsettle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsettle. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unsettle
verb
un·set·tle
ˌən-ˈset-ᵊl
ˈən-
1
: to move or loosen from a settled state
2
: to make uneasy
change unsettles him
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