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
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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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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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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 With perennial winner Game of Thrones ineligible that year, oddsmakers had mostly settled on Netflix’s The Crown to take home the Drama Series award for its debut season. Joe Reid, Vulture, 3 May 2025 The women sued Affleck, and both cases were settled out of court in 2010. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 3 May 2025 The married couple settled on using a surrogate after Kandi’s OB-GYN, Married to Medicine’s Dr. Jackie Walters, introduced them to a woman named Shadina Blunt, who eventually carried Blaze. Mckinley Franklin, People.com, 2 May 2025 For all the chaos and strife of the tariffs in the opening act of his second term, Trump’s U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade deal, which went into effect in 2020, and his negotiations with China during his first term indicate some ability not just to pick economic fights but to try to settle them. Jennifer M. Harris, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for settle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for settle
Verb
  • And once again, fans of the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical can see the show’s 18th-century characters inhabited by an all-new cast of actors.
    Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2025
  • Hiaasen’s skill as a writer lies less in the virtuosity of his sentence-level prose than in the exuberant strangeness of his plots and the inner lives of the people who inhabit them.
    Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 8 May 2025
Verb
  • In lieu of two events, he’s decided to combine the unveiling of his fall 2025 haute couture collection with a celebration event at his Paris headquarters, which is a stone’s throw from the Opéra Garnier.
    Miles Socha, Footwear News, 5 May 2025
  • Some filmmakers have decided to expand Iran’s underground cinema.
    Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 5 May 2025
Verb
  • But the large open kitchen that takes up most of the room is the same—with cooks’ stations encircling a central vent that’s dramatically cantilevered, like the funnel of a cruise ship—as is the seating, much of it arranged around a sweeping U-shaped counter.
    Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 4 May 2025
  • Now, many teams around the NBA arrange for team dinners at some point in the season.
    Jason Quick, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Verb
  • In the sixth inning, with Manny Machado perched on third base, San Diego’s Xander Bogaerts hit a flyball to Doyle in center.
    Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 9 May 2025
  • The home, which was originally built in 1928, is perched atop a rocky bluff with private access to 200+ ft. of beach below.
    Rachel McRady, People.com, 7 May 2025
Verb
  • The bullet shot straight through her neck and lodged itself in the wall of the RTD station, said Amelia Sapp, an attorney with the Denver District Attorney’s Office.
    Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2025
  • That's when the bullet was found lodged in Gary's rib, and what had started as a possible accidental death — became a murder investigation.
    Susan Mallie, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Metal benches are also lighter than benches composed solely of wood.
    Megan Newton, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 May 2025
  • Forethought underpins the crucial balance between execution speed and staying composed and under control.
    Ryan Lahti, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
Verb
  • The following contains major spoilers for all of Andor!
    Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
  • However, coconut oil is 100% fat, and each gram contains nine calories.
    Health, Health, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • At every turn, parents are paying more — sometimes hundreds more — for the basics.
    Lindsay Owens, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2025
  • Last year, Snap paid $2.8 million for CEO and cofounder Evan Spiegel’s personal security.
    Monica Hunter-Hart, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Settle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/settle. Accessed 18 May. 2025.

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