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

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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 The case was settled out of court in 2022, with Andrew admitting no wrongdoing. —Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026 By mile 34, the winter light had begun to settle over the landscape. —Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026 Court records show the lawsuit was settled out of court in January 2025. —Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch, 5 Feb. 2026 With wind chills that low, frostbite can settle in in as little as 15 minutes. —Ron Smiley, CBS News, 5 Feb. 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
  • Nevertheless, laid low by cancer and the claim battle, Karen Powers continued on in the job that had provided her with a lifelong sense of meaning and purpose.
    — J.C. Hallman, Oklahoman, 10 Feb. 2026
  • In 2025, Zuckerberg and Chan laid the groundwork to recalibrate their philanthropic organization toward AI-powered biomedical research, with a particular focus on their flagship Biohub network.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
Definition of lay
Verb
  • Sadly, the full ring of fire will only be witnessed by the few human beings inhabiting research stations in the path of annularity, along with the millions of penguins who call the frozen continent home.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 10 Feb. 2026
  • While experts don’t fully agree on why or how so many rabbits came to inhabit the island today, there are some leading theories.
    — Madeline Weinfield, Travel + Leisure, 9 Feb. 2026
Definition of inhabit
Verb
  • Monitoring high-level athletes for drug misuse is nothing new, but the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) surprised many people recently by deciding to track the use of GLP-1 drugs, such as the diabetes and obesity treatments Ozempic (semaglutide) and Zepbound (tirzepatide).
    — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Winners of the Lucky for Life top prize of $1,000 a day for life and second prize of $25,000 a year for life can decide to collect the prize for a minimum of 20 years or take a lump sum cash payment.
    — Staff Reports, The Providence Journal, 13 Feb. 2026
Definition of decide
Verb
  • Prosecutors claim Sainz Salazar served as a key fentanyl producer for the Chapitos from about 2022 through 2025, helping manufacture millions of pills, arranging drug transactions under armed protection and operating labs that later became central to the group’s fentanyl production.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Mustique also has a small hotel, Cotton House, where 17 guest rooms and suites are arranged between a two-story building and a series of garden cottages.
    — Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of arrange
Verb
  • Her disappearance sparked a large search effort in the Catalina Foothills community, perched north of Tucson, and a criminal investigation by the Pima County Sheriff's Department and FBI.
    — Chris Kenning, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
  • At the center of the action was a sunglasses-wearing Jay-Z, who was perched on the backrest of a plush sofa while enjoying a performance by rapper Don Toliver, mouthing along the lyrics to his hit No Pole.
    — Paul Chi, Vogue, 8 Feb. 2026
Definition of perch
Verb
  • Doctors decided against removing a bullet that was lodged in his hip.
    — Tracy Wright , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 9 Feb. 2026
  • They were expected to be lodged in jail upon their release.
    — Nick Lentz, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Definition of lodge
Verb
  • Milele Coggs, whose district includes most of King Drive, but the northern portion of the street has fewer traffic calming measures in place, creating a higher risk for pedestrians.
    — Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Merrillville officials hope a letter denying the existence of a Department of Homeland Security contract on a warehouse in town will calm residents’ nerves about a theoretical immigrant detention center.
    — Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2026
Definition of calm
Verb
  • Wright, who formerly worked as a detective, said the video contains apparent facial features such as a mustache and that investigators should be able to calculate height, shoe size and brands of clothing.
    — Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Her life’s work was stolen early Monday when thieves swiped a shipping box containing many of her puppets from outside her Beachwood Canyon apartment.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 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 15 Feb. 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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