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
Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 1 July 2025
The 21-year-old was a star of the show at the City Ground, disrupting passing lanes and rarely letting Rice — or any other England player — settle.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 30 June 2025
Hewlett Packard Enterprise , Juniper Networks — Shares rallied 12% and 8%, respectively, after the U.S. Department of Justice, according to court filings, settled its lawsuit challenging server maker Hewlett Packard Enterprise' $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks.
—Darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 30 June 2025
When classes were over and students were moving into their summer housing, I e-mailed with Alex, who was settling in in the East Village.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for settle
Verb
Crandall is a sixth-generation rancher, who’s tending to land that was originally settled by his ancestors in the 1850s—but is thinking proactively about technology in 2025.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 1 July 2025
The 21-year-old was a star of the show at the City Ground, disrupting passing lanes and rarely letting Rice — or any other England player — settle.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 30 June 2025
Hewlett Packard Enterprise , Juniper Networks — Shares rallied 12% and 8%, respectively, after the U.S. Department of Justice, according to court filings, settled its lawsuit challenging server maker Hewlett Packard Enterprise' $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks.
—Darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 30 June 2025
When classes were over and students were moving into their summer housing, I e-mailed with Alex, who was settling in in the East Village.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 30 June 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 16 Jul. 2025.
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