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
All the activity on Earth’s surface — erupting volcanoes, shifting tectonic plates, restless seas and myriad forms of life — depends on the two-part engine under the hood.
—
Quanta Magazine, 4 Aug. 2025
This was Saint-Saëns’s first opera, and the restless brilliance of its invention cries out for more attention.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Following a restless night's sleep, the duo wake up in the wrong bodies again, but this time, Anna has swapped places with her daughter Harper, while Tess has swapped with Harper's soon-to-be step sister Lily (Sophia Hammons), who is the daughter of Anna's fiancé Eric, played by Manny Jacinto.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 29 July 2025
Santa Monica, California, is celebrating its 150th anniversary this month, which is impressive for a town that still has the energy and exuberance of a restless teenager.
—David Hochman, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for restless
Quanta Magazine, 4 Aug. 2025
This was Saint-Saëns’s first opera, and the restless brilliance of its invention cries out for more attention.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Following a restless night's sleep, the duo wake up in the wrong bodies again, but this time, Anna has swapped places with her daughter Harper, while Tess has swapped with Harper's soon-to-be step sister Lily (Sophia Hammons), who is the daughter of Anna's fiancé Eric, played by Manny Jacinto.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 29 July 2025
Santa Monica, California, is celebrating its 150th anniversary this month, which is impressive for a town that still has the energy and exuberance of a restless teenager.
—David Hochman, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for restless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restless
Adjective
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The United States and China have settled into a steady state of pragmatic, if uneasy, détente.—
Phil Mattingly,
CNN Money,
13 Aug. 2025
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Reading Zeller’s book, I was reminded that there is a kind of uneasy fellowship in this condition—a vast, involuntary community of people mapping out their lives between attacks, haunted by uncertainty but sustained in part by accounts like his.—
Jerome Groopman,
New Yorker,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The vices of deficiency, such as being anxious, agitated, impatient, inattentive, and rash, are common everyday experiences.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
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Orange County students are returning to class this month as districts navigate an anxious back-to-school season shaped by immigration raids over the summer and the possibility that attendance drops could cut into school funding.—
Hanna Kang,
Oc Register,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The musical originally toured the United States for six months in 1976, a legendarily troubled production, retooled constantly, that has long since entered stage lore.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
8 Aug. 2025
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It was said that the room contained a troubled spirit and that the parson was supposed to bless the space.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Not sure what’s funnier and more disturbing, Sweet Tooth’s urine test coming back as a black goo, or Axel not allowing a blood sample, presumably because his blood is gasoline.—
Rafael Motamayor,
Vulture,
14 Aug. 2025
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In the spring, Linda appeared in a disturbing social media video lifting the lid on the dysfunction in the family.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The ongoing legal battle and federal investigation remains unsettled; Mountain West has made questionable claims Slusser's attorney, William Bock, filed a response to motions to dismiss one of the cases June 23.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
31 July 2025
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As summer travel peaks and crowded airports coincide with unsettled weather, many travelers feel like the system is in a constant state of melting down.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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Following tense campus protests and intense scrutiny from the federal government, Columbia University will start considering a civil-discourse credential as part of its undergraduate admissions process.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
15 Aug. 2025
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The truth is, in today’s tense political climate both locally and at the federal level, that progress is fragile.—
Adriana Negron,
Hartford Courant,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Arab governments that for decades have been fierce advocates for the Palestinian cause are now facing criticism for their timid response to the extreme suffering in Gaza caused by Israel's war, risking a dangerous rift with their increasingly restive citizens.—
Mo Abbas,
NBC news,
13 Aug. 2025
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Advertisement Advertisement The Trump Administration brokered a cease-fire between Israel and Syria, U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said on Friday, but some within the Administration have grown restive over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recalcitrance, Axios reported on Sunday.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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But as Trump appears to ignore court decisions and high-level administration officials are suggesting suspending the writ of habeas corpus, Bolick is nervous the United States is heading toward authoritarianism.—
Amanda Luberto,
AZCentral.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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Students, meanwhile, often get nervous about asking for clarification or diving deeper into a topic in front of their peers.—
Shelbie Witte,
The Conversation,
12 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Restless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restless. Accessed 24 Aug. 2025.
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