1
as in to lay
to cause to come to rest at the bottom (as of a liquid) the light rain will settle the dust in the air careful handling will settle the lees in the bottom of the wine bottle

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2
as in to inhabit
to supply with inhabitants the region was originally settled by farmers

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3
4
5
as in to perch
to come to rest after descending from the air birds settling on the branches of the maple tree

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6
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8
as in to contain
to gain emotional or mental control of settled himself only with visible effort after the angry outburst

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9
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11
as in to shush
to stop the noise or speech of settled the class with a firm "quiet!"

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb settle differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of settle are decide, determine, resolve, and rule. While all these words mean "to come or cause to come to a conclusion," settle implies a decision reached by someone with power to end all dispute or uncertainty.

the dean's decision settled the campus alcohol policy

When might decide be a better fit than settle?

While in some cases nearly identical to settle, decide implies previous consideration of a matter causing doubt, wavering, debate, or controversy.

she decided to sell her house

When is it sensible to use determine instead of settle?

The words determine and settle can be used in similar contexts, but determine implies fixing the identity, character, scope, or direction of something.

determined the cause of the problem

When would resolve be a good substitute for settle?

In some situations, the words resolve and settle are roughly equivalent. However, resolve implies an expressed or clear decision or determination to do or refrain from doing something.

he resolved to quit smoking

In what contexts can rule take the place of settle?

Although the words rule and settle have much in common, rule implies a determination by judicial or administrative authority.

the judge ruled that the evidence was inadmissible

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of settle As the swells grew and the troughs sunk deeper, an ominous feeling settled upon us. Martin Suarez, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2025 Again, the Indians could not punch the ball into the end zone and had to settle for a 28-yard field goal to cut the lead to 14-6. Jordan Neal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Sep. 2025 When Boston didn’t capitalize early, Fried settled in. Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025 The Bruins never looked back, despite Sweetwyne settling into the game and engineering four scoring drives to keep the Falcons from getting boat-raced. Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 13 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for settle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for settle
Verb
  • Overnight, crews will build hose lays along fire breaks and reinforce lines.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The kids with the balls spent all that time hunkered down on the stairs, laying low and waiting to be allowed back to their seats.
    The Athletic Tennis Staff, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In San Francisco, a development called Hunters View built in 1956 to provide temporary workforce housing was still inhabited and badly deteriorating by the early 2000s.
    Jeffrey Steele, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Once inhabited by some of the city’s wealthiest families, Troost was the target of restrictive covenants in the early 20th century that drew a distinct line of separation.
    Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • How would Trump react to his administration now getting to decide the fate of CNN?
    Brian Welk, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Ego Nwodim has decided to leave the NBC show after seven seasons.
    Peter White, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • North was convicted in 1989 on three felony charges for helping to arrange the illicit sale of weapons to Iran and divert the proceeds to fund a secret war against anti-communist Contra rebels in Nicaragua.
    Josh Meyer, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Wegovy injection pens arranged in Waterbury, Vermont, US, on Monday, April 28, 2025.
    Karen Gilchrist,Katrina Bishop, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Most guests, however, will stay at the main hotel, perched atop a hill overlooking both courses and the endless sea beyond.
    Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Harris perched like a dancer in her hammocks, tilting toward her model’s shoulders, a beatific expression on her face.
    Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In February, Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged an arrest detainer requesting local authorities notify ICE before Cucol-Bol is released, the agency told CNN.
    Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The quickening of time will soon expose a partial, temporary truth, lodged within my grandmother’s premonition.
    Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • While the designer version was composed entirely of cotton, these are 70 percent cotton and 30 percent polyester.
    Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Displayed in the same first-floor gallery, Because (2018) comprises artworks composed of photographs in wooden frames under a curtain embroidered with a phrase explaining what triggered her photographic act.
    Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Advertisement The panel has already obtained roughly 33,000 pages of records from the Justice Department, though Democrats have complained those disclosures contained little new information.
    Nik Popli, Time, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Eventually, the Nepali army was deployed to contain the situation.
    Rajeev Tyagi, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Settle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/settle. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

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