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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Relevance
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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
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
7
as in to compose
to free from distress or disturbance
a hot meal settled the children down
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8
9
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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as in to cool
to become still and orderly
settle down and get to work, please
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as in to choose
to come to a judgment about after discussion or consideration
the car buyer settled on that brand only after a lot of research
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of settle
Joe Reid, Vulture, 3 May 2025
The women sued Affleck, and both cases were settled out of court in 2010.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 3 May 2025
The married couple settled on using a surrogate after Kandi’s OB-GYN, Married to Medicine’s Dr. Jackie Walters, introduced them to a woman named Shadina Blunt, who eventually carried Blaze.
—Mckinley Franklin, People.com, 2 May 2025
For all the chaos and strife of the tariffs in the opening act of his second term, Trump’s U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade deal, which went into effect in 2020, and his negotiations with China during his first term indicate some ability not just to pick economic fights but to try to settle them.
—Jennifer M. Harris, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for settle
Verb
With perennial winner Game of Thrones ineligible that year, oddsmakers had mostly settled on Netflix’s The Crown to take home the Drama Series award for its debut season.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 3 May 2025
The women sued Affleck, and both cases were settled out of court in 2010.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 3 May 2025
The married couple settled on using a surrogate after Kandi’s OB-GYN, Married to Medicine’s Dr. Jackie Walters, introduced them to a woman named Shadina Blunt, who eventually carried Blaze.
—Mckinley Franklin, People.com, 2 May 2025
For all the chaos and strife of the tariffs in the opening act of his second term, Trump’s U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade deal, which went into effect in 2020, and his negotiations with China during his first term indicate some ability not just to pick economic fights but to try to settle them.
—Jennifer M. Harris, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for settle
Cite this Entry
“Settle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/settle. Accessed 15 May. 2025.
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