1
as in to lay
to cause to come to rest at the bottom (as of a liquid) the light rain will settle the dust in the air careful handling will settle the lees in the bottom of the wine bottle

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2
as in to inhabit
to supply with inhabitants the region was originally settled by farmers

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3
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5
as in to perch
to come to rest after descending from the air birds settling on the branches of the maple tree

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6
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8
as in to contain
to gain emotional or mental control of settled himself only with visible effort after the angry outburst

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9
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11
as in to shush
to stop the noise or speech of settled the class with a firm "quiet!"

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb settle differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of settle are decide, determine, resolve, and rule. While all these words mean "to come or cause to come to a conclusion," settle implies a decision reached by someone with power to end all dispute or uncertainty.

the dean's decision settled the campus alcohol policy

When might decide be a better fit than settle?

While in some cases nearly identical to settle, decide implies previous consideration of a matter causing doubt, wavering, debate, or controversy.

she decided to sell her house

When is it sensible to use determine instead of settle?

The words determine and settle can be used in similar contexts, but determine implies fixing the identity, character, scope, or direction of something.

determined the cause of the problem

When would resolve be a good substitute for settle?

In some situations, the words resolve and settle are roughly equivalent. However, resolve implies an expressed or clear decision or determination to do or refrain from doing something.

he resolved to quit smoking

In what contexts can rule take the place of settle?

Although the words rule and settle have much in common, rule implies a determination by judicial or administrative authority.

the judge ruled that the evidence was inadmissible

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 settle Last year, the Mets were unwilling to give the 30-year-old slugger a long-term contract, settling on a two-year, $54 million contract with a player opt-out clause for next season, according to Spotrac. Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025 Otherwise, the federal government has suspended all data compilation and releases until the fiscal impasse in Washington is settled. Jeff Cox, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025 Paramount then settled for $16 million shortly before the FCC approved the merger, with Skydance also promising to eliminate DEI programs and install an ombudsman to monitor CBS for bias. David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025 Boise and Treasure Valley residents have a chance to enjoy a beautiful fall Friday before a cold front bringing rainy weather and gusty winds settles into Southwest Idaho starting Saturday morning. Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 24 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for settle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for settle
Verb
  • After her mother dies, Gustav reappears and lays claim to the house, which his family has long owned.
    Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Many of those new settlers helped lay the groundwork for Oregon's present success ‒ from Nike to tech companies like Intel, along with farming, logging and agriculture.
    Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The space station is currently inhabited by the three Shenzhou 20 astronauts, Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie.
    Andrew Jones, Space.com, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Come for the movies, get bumped into by the several ghosts who are said to inhabit the Art Deco movie house that was built in 1937.
    Keith Sharon, Nashville Tennessean, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Earlier this year, the team decided to rebrand, choosing a name more in keeping with the brand's vision – and Fold was born.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Raised in a traditional Catholic home, Doty, out of economic necessity, had decided to pay off her debts by working in the adult entertainment industry, hoping the job would just be a temporary solution.
    Will Tizard, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • There were also individual, isolated nests, which were typically larger than any that were arranged in a specific shape, according to the study.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
  • To make matters worse, none of the wedding flowers had been purchased or arranged.
    Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Beetle buzzes by with tiny pumpkins perched on top, and Xuanwu, a ground robot carrying a drone, walks ominously in the background.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
  • One story of the Desert Fathers recounts a sighting of a demon perched on the top of the monastery, busily scribbling down all the faults of the brothers within.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) lodged an immigration detainer against Khathavong at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia a month after his conviction.
    Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2025
  • But Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have also lodged an appeal to the France’s Council of State over windowing rules which force them to wait 15 to 17 months to access films after their theatrical release.
    Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Both ends of the leash will simply enjoy having people pet the therapy dog, chat with the handler, try to calm their nerves before running their big race, and, hopefully, have a significant, measurable feeling of relaxation.
    Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
  • According to aesthetic nurse Eric Nietzel-Leone, this is an excellent post-treatment mask for cooling and calming the skin after lasers or microneedling.
    Iman Balagam, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • After the players strolled onto the field through an opening in center field, rapper Ice Cube, a huge Dodger fan, drove a vintage blue Chevy convertible containing the World Series trophy.
    Steve Futterman, NPR, 4 Nov. 2025
  • One officer allegedly found garbage bags inside a large freezer that were later determined to contain the remains of a female, the station reported.
    Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Settle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/settle. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.

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