1
as in to paralyze
to deprive of courage or confidence
the riding accident so unnerved me that for a while I was afraid to get back on a horse
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to discourage
to lessen the courage or confidence of
a figure skater can't afford to be unnerved by an occasional slipup
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unnerve
That’s why Meta’s big investment in Scale seems to have unnerved all the frontier AI companies.
—
Billy Perrigo, Time, 16 June 2025
The girl was later found safe and unharmed 80 minutes later, but the experience continues to unnerve her mother.
—David Chiu, People.com, 21 May 2025
While the impact of a costlier iPhone likely wouldn't mean much from a larger economic perspective, the saber-rattling underscores the volatility of trade policy and provides another flash point for a market already unnerved by worries about fiscal policy that have sent bond yields sharply higher.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 23 May 2025
But the fixation on health has unnerved some medical experts, nutritionists and educators, who have noticed concerning degrees of health anxiety among some teenagers.
—Natalie Proulx, New York Times, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unnerve
Billy Perrigo, Time, 16 June 2025
The girl was later found safe and unharmed 80 minutes later, but the experience continues to unnerve her mother.
—David Chiu, People.com, 21 May 2025
While the impact of a costlier iPhone likely wouldn't mean much from a larger economic perspective, the saber-rattling underscores the volatility of trade policy and provides another flash point for a market already unnerved by worries about fiscal policy that have sent bond yields sharply higher.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 23 May 2025
But the fixation on health has unnerved some medical experts, nutritionists and educators, who have noticed concerning degrees of health anxiety among some teenagers.
—Natalie Proulx, New York Times, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unnerve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnerve
Verb
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Trump deserves credit for ignoring the voices in Washington who counsel inaction out of an understandable but often paralyzing fear of unintended consequences.—
The Editors,
National Review,
24 June 2025
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To all who saw Iran as a behemoth, were daunted by its deterrence and paralyzed by its threats, these are days of reckoning.—
HUSSEIN AGHA,
Foreign Affairs,
23 June 2025
Verb
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President Snow, facing growing unrest across the nation as a result of the pair’s joint victory, demands that Katniss and Peeta pretend to be in love during their Victory Tour to discourage any rebellions.—
Kelly Martinez Published,
EW.com,
5 July 2025
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Bailey made headlines leading up to the draft by reportedly discouraging Philadelphia from selecting him, and even attempted to do the same with Utah.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 July 2025
Verb
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But their return has also angered and frightened livestock farmers and others in rural communities who are having to learn to live alongside these once nearly-extinct creatures.—
Ruth Sherlock,
NPR,
9 July 2025
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But on Friday night, the booms and blasts of celebratory fireworks appear to have frightened them away.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 July 2025
Verb
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Williams often got frustrated with him and told him to be quiet.—
Michael Cuglietta,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 July 2025
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Even so, our reporting left me feeling mostly frustrated with my brain.—
Noah Haggerty,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2025
Verb
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The loud noises terrify many dogs and cats into running away — which is easier with more doors opening during parties.—
Jen Reeder,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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The women on the ward were terrified by the sudden invasion of masked people.—
Zadie Smith,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Verb
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But moving from being a casual fan into understanding the intricacies of tennis can be intimidating.—
Caoimhe O'Neill,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
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Although new gardeners often find coming up with a design intimidating, there are existing templates to work from.—
Special to The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
8 July 2025
Verb
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The combination of a floodlight and a camera is a great way to scare off intruders and get better quality footage at night.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
11 July 2025
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Simply pull the pin, and the device will emit a blaring siren sound in combination with a strobe light that will draw attention to your situation and scare away would-be threats.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unnerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnerve. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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