settle

verb

ˈse-tᵊl How to pronounce settle (audio)
Definition of settlenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to decide
to give an opinion about (something at issue or in dispute) settled the lawsuit in favor of the defendant

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to arrange
to come to an agreement or decision concerning the details of settled their wedding plans without any major disagreements

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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
as in to lodge
to establish or place comfortably or snugly settled the sleeping baby into her crib

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7
as in to calm
to free from distress or disturbance a hot meal settled the children down

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
as in to pay
to give what is owed for settle a debt

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10
as in to determine
to make final, definite, or beyond dispute this information should settle the question of who is right

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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 In 2023, the city settled a pair of lawsuits for $88 million to terminate the lease and greenlight the terminal’s demolition. —Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026 Two others — Snapchat and TikTok — settled out of court. —Dave Lieber mar. 5, Dallas Morning News, 5 Mar. 2026 Jawahar Singh had also filed several lawsuits to stop the eviction, alleging in one that the landlord agreed to settle the matter for $8,000, then refused to honor the agreement, according to the criminal complaint. —John Annese, New York Daily News, 5 Mar. 2026 Those headed out the door for their morning commute and errands Thursday will likely run into dense fog that has settled over much of the Kansas City region, dropping visibility to a quarter mile or less, according to the National Weather Service. —Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for settle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for settle
  1. lay
  2. inhabit
  3. decide
  4. arrange
  5. perch
  6. lodge
  7. calm
  8. contain
Verb
  • Tech companies are racing to predict whether AI’s popularity will result in a new hit product, similar to how the internet laid the foundation for the smartphone.
    — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 2 Mar. 2026
  • Unusually, many of the actual dogs were on hand to lay their paws on their gongs, as was the case with the first award, Historical Hound.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2026
Definition of lay
Verb
  • However, how many of them actually come to be inhabited remains a great unknown, with deeper questions — like how many of them turn into technologically advanced civilizations — requiring us to estimate further unknowns atop them.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 4 Mar. 2026
  • Her celestial bodies don’t inhabit the night sky, but rather the silver screen—and yet, reading them has become as necessary in 2026 as observing the Milky Way was to Galileo in the 1600s.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Definition of inhabit
Verb
  • Carrick ignored it, deciding not to change a formula up front that has ended up producing five wins and a draw from his first six matches back in the dugout.
    — Ian Irving, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
  • The courtroom erupted as the judge and lawyers tried to decide which charges Cox was self representing, and who needed to receive the motions.
    — Amy DeLaura, The Washington Examiner, 28 Feb. 2026
Definition of decide
Verb
  • The partnership formed only after Wimbledon, arranged through Tien’s agent, despite the two having lived in the same Southern California tennis orbit for years without ever meeting.
    — Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Brick villas arranged in clusters have rooms in browns and creams; most come with balconies facing the Red Sea.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Mar. 2026
Definition of arrange
Verb
  • There were two large patios, fenced in and perched on a hill overlooking the Pacific.
    — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
  • Others dressed as cats and foxes perched in the branches of trees, keeping their distance from curious onlookers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Definition of perch
Verb
  • Its front flipper was 90 percent dead from no blood circulation, caused by the fishing line, and a fishing hook was lodged in the back of its mouth.
    — Julie Sharp, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
  • Repeatedly named one of the South’s best resorts, Sea Island has a couple of lodging options across the Golden Isles, but The Cloister is the heart of the brand’s hospitality offerings.
    — Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026
Definition of lodge
Verb
  • To cope, Sesko practices box-breathing to calm himself, a technique involving four four-second phases of breathing in, holding your breath before exhaling, and then holding again.
    — Ian Irving, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
  • Previous flare-ups have calmed after days of fighting, and mediation by foreign governments including Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
    — Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
Definition of calm
Verb
  • Simply mix 250g of low-fat quark (which contains around 20g of protein) with 40g of ground oats, half a banana as a natural binding agent and a dash of milk.
    — Desireé Oostland, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2026
  • Nearly 50 miles south, a second site was located in the 2000 block of Golf Road in Turlock, which law enforcement officials said contained all the equipment necessary to operate as a lab but was shut down before production began.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Definition of contain

Phrases Containing settle

Browse Nearby Words

setting upon
settle
settled
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Cite this Entry

“Settle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/settle. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on settle

Nglish: Translation of settle for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about settle

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