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
There’s additional uncertainty this year because the trade market is unsettled relative to previous seasons.
—
Thomas Drance, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
The ambiguity of authorship is meant to unsettle the reading of the text.
—Lana Lin
september 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
Blunt, visibly unsettled, noted that Norwood was designed to resemble a composite of familiar performers.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 29 Sep. 2025
Then her swagger slipped, her expression unsettled.
—David Wright Faladé, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsettle
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Thomas Drance, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
The ambiguity of authorship is meant to unsettle the reading of the text.
—Lana Lin
september 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
Blunt, visibly unsettled, noted that Norwood was designed to resemble a composite of familiar performers.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 29 Sep. 2025
Then her swagger slipped, her expression unsettled.
—David Wright Faladé, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 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 8 Oct. 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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