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
His eventual band, the Family Stone, was racially mixed—rare at the time—and, from the beginning, shone with evidence of its leader’s sophistication and restless ear.
—
Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2025
Faced with a skeptical Supreme Court and a restless voter base that cannot be placated by unfunded rebates that are unlikely to materialize anyway, the administration appears poised to let the air out of its trade war.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 18 Dec. 2025
The actor has always had a restless talent, though.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 14 Dec. 2025
Prenatal sleep problems such as short sleep, sleep apnea and restless sleep can lead to preterm births and low birth weight in newborns.
—Jenalee Doom, The Conversation, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for restless
Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2025
Faced with a skeptical Supreme Court and a restless voter base that cannot be placated by unfunded rebates that are unlikely to materialize anyway, the administration appears poised to let the air out of its trade war.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 18 Dec. 2025
The actor has always had a restless talent, though.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 14 Dec. 2025
Prenatal sleep problems such as short sleep, sleep apnea and restless sleep can lead to preterm births and low birth weight in newborns.
—Jenalee Doom, The Conversation, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for restless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restless
Adjective
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Neighbors fear rising violence Residents said the shooting has left them uneasy.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026
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But by evening, an uneasy calm had settled across the city.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In Clayton’s and Josephson’s hands, though, the fawn response becomes something more pliable, less a sign of acute threat than a broadly anxious orientation to the world.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
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Six-year-old Lucas Kincaid of Molalla, Oregon stood with his family to take a final peek in the hulking main telescope beneath the dome in anxious anticipation, snug in his furry hooded jacket like a hibernating bear cub about to meet the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The film follows a weary delivery driver with months to live who saves a brilliant but troubled teenage girl.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
8 Jan. 2026
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But many parents of troubled adults face myriad obstacles in getting help for their children, said Pasquini, who is a former nine-year member of the Contra Costa County Mental Health Commission and who has long worked for changes in the state’s conservatorship laws.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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According to The Marshall Project, federal officers fired on at least nine people in their vehicles over a four-month period, evidence of a disturbing pattern.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
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Zhang was quickly identified as a suspect based on her allegedly increasingly disturbing behavior, according to authorities.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Venezuela’s political situation remains unsettled.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Jan. 2026
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When Nicolás Maduro assumed Venezuela’s presidency in 2013, the country was already deeply unsettled after years of political polarization under Hugo Chávez, marked by shrinking freedoms and violent crackdowns on dissent.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
3 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Yet the competitive reality hit hardest during a tense FIBA break.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
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Davis became the director of CPW in April 2023 and has overseen the state’s controversial and often-tense wolf reintroduction program.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The protests have spread to Iranian provinces as far west as Ilam, a Kurdish-majority region bordering Iraq, and Lorestan, both which have emerged as restive hotspots.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
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Protests also were reported Friday in Zahedan in Iran’s restive southwestern Sistan and Baluchestan province.—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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From a portable power bank to keep your phone charged to noise-canceling headphones that will drown out stressful sounds, these travel accessories will help nervous fliers and frequent travelers alike have easier journeys.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
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But now there's a new robo-tech in town, and my Roadie 3 is looking very nervous indeed.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Restless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restless. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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