1
as in uneasy
lacking or denying rest
the worried mother spent a restless night, tossing and turning in bed for hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in anxious
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
the figure skater was visibly restless as she waited for her scores to be posted
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of restless
No sharing, no compromising, no rushing because someone is getting restless in a high chair.
—
Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2026
In Nazi Germany, the regime understood that nothing unites a restless population faster than a common enemy.
—Steven Burg, Sun Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2026
There, the pioneers—practical, inventive, restless, exuberant white men—clashed with Indigenous peoples, subduing them and a wilderness filled with wild animals and abundant natural resources.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Six years ago in the spring, as COVID-19 cases grew in distant China, Britain was torn between sealing the country off and letting daily life continue its restless hum.
—Vincent Ni, NPR, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for restless
Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2026
In Nazi Germany, the regime understood that nothing unites a restless population faster than a common enemy.
—Steven Burg, Sun Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2026
There, the pioneers—practical, inventive, restless, exuberant white men—clashed with Indigenous peoples, subduing them and a wilderness filled with wild animals and abundant natural resources.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Six years ago in the spring, as COVID-19 cases grew in distant China, Britain was torn between sealing the country off and letting daily life continue its restless hum.
—Vincent Ni, NPR, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for restless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restless
Adjective
-
In its blending of ’90s slowcore and post-rock, the Chicago quartet conjures an uneasy reprieve, casting resignation not as a dead end but an inevitable, enviable acceptance.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
13 Apr. 2026
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Yet others remain uncertain about what the authority of a two-thirds majority will bring, with some uneasy about taking such a mandate from Orbán and delivering it to his opponent.—
Justin Spike,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The 60-year-old was anxious at the onset of the spring planting season, rattling off the long list of issues affecting his family’s livelihood at their 2,000-acre farm near Wahoo, Nebraska.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
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Like him, Rue is squirming under Laurie’s thumb, anxious to get out.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
On Saturday, the troubled pop star uploaded a video dancing in a sheer black bodysuit while covering her breasts with her hands.—
Kathleen Perricone,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
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With Iceland’s titular black sands serving as the backdrop, the first season of the show followed Anita, a troubled police officer played by Aldis Amah Hamilton (The Valhalla Murders) who also co-writes the series.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That boss who had sent Kim all those disturbing love letters and images.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
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Magyar’s most disturbing similarity with Orbán is his personality.—
Kapil Komireddi,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Despite mortgage rates rising above 6 percent, unsettled financial markets, and nearly 10 percent more new inventory since February, buyers stayed confident, according to the March report from the Denver Metro Association of Realtors.—
Sara B. Hansen,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
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The unsettled pattern will linger on Tuesday, bringing additional rounds of rain and mild temperatures.—
Joseph Dames,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Relations between China and Taiwan have been tense since 2016 when the Taiwanese public elected Tsai Ing-wen from the Democratic Progressive Party as president.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
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Is this a particularly tense time for them?—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Already, Israeli strikes near Iran’s eastern frontier are fomenting instability in Pakistan’s restive province of Balochistan.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
9 Apr. 2026
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When four of its members (Ogoni chiefs — one of whom was my mother’s brother-in-law) were brutally killed by restive Ogoni youths, the government arrested my father and eight of his colleagues.—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Behind yet another standout performance from Elliot Cadeau, who was named the Final Four’s most outstanding player, the Wolverines weathered a UConn run in the first half that had the massive throng of maize-and-blue fans in Indianapolis feeling nervous.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
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King had been nervous about the casting process.—
Angelina Mazza,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Restless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restless. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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