ˌən-ˈset-liŋ
1
as in disturbing
causing worry or anxiety
unsettling new developments in the effort to bring peace and stability to that region
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2
as in uneasy
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
had the unsettling task of picking out a coffin and making the other funeral arrangements for his father
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as in alarming
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
the news that the local grocery store had sold contaminated produce unsettled many shoppers
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unsettling
Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2025
When prompted to yawn, the unsettling face would peel open its lips, briefly shut its eyes for several seconds, and then return to its neutral position.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 5 June 2025
The potential for South Korea to be plunged into yet another constitutional crisis is deeply unsettling for a nation longing for a return to stability and the addressing of pocketbook issues.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 4 June 2025
Anthropic activated new safety measures this month with the rollout of Claude Opus 4 when its tests found behavior from the model that some observers found particularly unsettling.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Adjective
His first feature-length effort was Eraserhead, a black-and-white film from 1977 about a new father and his unsettling E.T.-like baby.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2025
When prompted to yawn, the unsettling face would peel open its lips, briefly shut its eyes for several seconds, and then return to its neutral position.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 5 June 2025
The potential for South Korea to be plunged into yet another constitutional crisis is deeply unsettling for a nation longing for a return to stability and the addressing of pocketbook issues.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 4 June 2025
Anthropic activated new safety measures this month with the rollout of Claude Opus 4 when its tests found behavior from the model that some observers found particularly unsettling.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsettling
Adjective
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Content moderators are workers who remove disturbing content from social media—data which is often then used to train AI systems like ChatGPT or Facebook’s algorithms.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
19 June 2025
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These stories reveal a disturbing truth: AI can automate and amplify existing biases, leading to real-world injustice.—
Sajal Singh,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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Some are bigger than others: economic uncertainty, changing customer behaviors, personal isolation, leadership burnout, marketing crisis, brand reputation, uneasy board members, investor expectations, consumer confidence, health issues and family challenges.—
Nancy Padberg,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
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But Musk’s rebuke has energized fiscal hawks in the Senate who were already uneasy with the legislation’s scope.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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The research community has long warned of troubling links to chronic disease, especially for children, and have called for more government oversight of the plastic, fossil fuel and chemical industries.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
18 June 2025
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Experts said state health exchanges’ use of advertising trackers was troubling if not entirely surprising.—
Colin Lecher,
USA Today,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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Over the past few weeks, Bieber has found himself at the center of increasingly tense run-ins with paparazzi.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2025
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Their only hope is to get to a nearby island, a situation made harder – and much more tense – by a clever great white, noteworthy for being a real shark rather than a CGI one like most films use.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
16 June 2025
Verb
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Occupying and distracting the mind.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
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While most of the acting is wonderful (Wyle is predictably great, but so is just about all of the main cast), some patient-of-the-week players err towards distracting histrionics.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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How to check food labels for allergies Howard's story is frightening and not entirely uncommon.—
Adrianna Rodriguez,
USA Today,
12 June 2025
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The frightening incident unfolded aboard Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas cruise ship on June 8.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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One in every three young adults aged 18-25 reports feeling anxious or lonely.—
Ann Kowal Smith,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
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Coi Leray has blessed her anxious fans with first glimpses of her and Trippie Redd’s baby girl.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
17 June 2025
Verb
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Overweight and obesity need to be treated safely and effectively to avoid that worrying forecast.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Dec. 2024
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Bitcoin has dropping back from its all-time high of over $100,000 in the last week as BlackRock quietly confirmed a worrying bitcoin bombshell.—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Unsettling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsettling. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.
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