unsettled 1 of 2

Definition of unsettlednext
1
2
as in unpaid
not yet paid I keep unsettled bills next to the checkbook

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in pending
not yet settled or decided we can't move on as long as this important question remains unsettled

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4

unsettled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of unsettle

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 unsettled
Adjective
With lawmakers divided and courts weighing competing rulings, the legal framework governing these markets may remain unsettled for some time. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026 The annoucement is expected at downtown rally involving three key unions with unsettled contract negotiations. Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Verb
Local media rights are unsettled, labor issues are expected to cause a lockout in 2027, and the lack of a salary cap creates payroll disparities. Luisa Beltran, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 2026 City arrived unsettled in shape and selection, carrying the weight of a season that had never given them room to find either. Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unsettled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsettled
Adjective
  • The comparison isn't perfect — stock data spans decades, while trends in trading card values are shorter and more volatile — but the outperformance in certain windows is still striking.
    Brandon Gomez, CNBC, 29 Mar. 2026
  • These volatile, double-digit voting shifts directly contrast more stable voting patterns among other major demographic groups, including the Black and white electorates, where shifts from cycle to cycle tend to be just a few points.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Lewandowski had been an unpaid adviser to Noem.
    Nate Raymond, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2026
  • Despite having low levels of sick calls during the partial government shutdown, the unpaid work appears to have taken a toll on Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Boston's Logan Airport.
    Brandon Truitt, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • There are at least three more pending investigations that are still outstanding, according to OSHA’s website, and Boring Company is currently contesting eight citations it was issued regarding chemical burns in 2024.
    Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
  • Bretches is one of the four officers whose cases remain pending.
    Tony Plohetski, Austin American Statesman, 19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Over time, though, the clarity of that governing brand faded as Democrats tried to address too many priorities at once, leaving voters unsure what the party stood for.
    Richard Yanowitch, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
  • The rest were unsure or had no opinion.
    Sean Conlon,Sarah Min, CNBC, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Indiana Dunes National Park Superintendent Jason Taylor had previously announced the decision to truck the sand from the site and said no natural habitat would be disturbed.
    Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Your sleep was disturbed, and in a big way.
    Laura Kiniry, Popular Science, 25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Prices are subject to rapid, unpredictable changes due to factors like, but not limited to, supply/demand, weather, and geopolitical events.
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Air travelers are paying the price of the shutdown with unpredictable, snaking TSA lines at airports across the country, jeopardizing their chances to pass through security on time for their flights.
    Graham Hurley, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Tarris Reed, the regional’s most outstanding player, scored 26.
    Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Shawsheen Tech wrestling star and Billerica resident James Tildsley finished fourth in the 152-pound division to cap one of the most outstanding high school careers in Massachusetts history.
    Barry Scanlon, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Speculation quickly grew that the bones could be connected to a missing person’s cold case — a theory that resonated in a community where unresolved disappearances weigh heavily.
    Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Tensions were heightened recently when the General Synod failed to agree on reforms related to same-sex unions, leaving one of the most delicate debates for the institution’s future unresolved.
    Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 27 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Unsettled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsettled. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.

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