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
A mild aftershock unsettled several more structures.
2
: to perturb or agitate mentally or emotionally : discompose
Such a sudden change will only unsettle her.
: to become unsettled
Synonyms of unsettle
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
After two movies that leave viewers unsettled, McCarthy has delivered a surprising reprieve.
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Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Kate could tell she was still unsettled by her daughter's explosion in the kitchen.
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The $1,800 donation, disclosed in a late campaign finance filing posted Monday, comes as the race remains crowded and unsettled ahead of the June 2 primary.
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Contemporary research complicates these findings, necessarily accounting for differences in dosage, metabolism, and preparation, and unsettling scientific conclusions divorced from how sassafras was utilized in real, traditional contexts.
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See All Example Sentences for unsettle
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Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Kate could tell she was still unsettled by her daughter's explosion in the kitchen.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
The $1,800 donation, disclosed in a late campaign finance filing posted Monday, comes as the race remains crowded and unsettled ahead of the June 2 primary.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
Contemporary research complicates these findings, necessarily accounting for differences in dosage, metabolism, and preparation, and unsettling scientific conclusions divorced from how sassafras was utilized in real, traditional contexts.
—Kari Traylor, JSTOR Daily, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsettle
Cite this Entry
“Unsettle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsettle. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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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