settled 1 of 2

settled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of settle
1
as in filtered
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 populated
to supply with inhabitants the region was originally settled by farmers

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3
4
5
as in perched
to come to rest after descending from the air birds settling on the branches of the maple tree

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6
7
8
as in contained
to gain emotional or mental control of settled himself only with visible effort after the angry outburst

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9
10
11
as in shushed
to stop the noise or speech of settled the class with a firm "quiet!"

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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 settled
Adjective
The most common criticism was that England lacked technical quality, intelligence and a settled way of playing as other nations became more sophisticated. James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 2026 Jacobs launched Marc by Marc Jacobs in 2001, cementing his eventual status as a fashion mogul — and, at moments throughout his career, as a kind of enfant terrible who, as it’s shown in this documentary, has cooled down a bit, more settled and reflective in his late career. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 26 Feb. 2026 Of course the categories may overlap, but many of the young people in Astoria or Ridgewood-Bushwick have grown up in their parents’ homes in more settled parts of the city. Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025 Erin Simkin—Netflix Advertisement Under Konner and Kaplan, Nobody Wants This has grown into a more settled and expansive show. Esther Zuckerman, Time, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
Although Medicaid funding is flowing again to Planned Parenthood, the fierce debate over the prominent reproductive health provider is far from settled. Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 21 July 2026 The Zach Werenski situation spiraled into a vetoed trade to the Stars, then settled. Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 21 July 2026 That lawsuit was settled months later for an unspecified amount of money. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 21 July 2026 It’s estimated such scams can steal $5 billion from Americans per year, and the FTC has settled with scammers accusing of stealing roughly $60 million between since May of last year. Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency extended an air quality alert into today for northern and central Illinois as a second wave of wildfire smoke settled over the area. Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026 However, Paramount will be looking to have the matter settled by the end of September. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 20 July 2026 Global crude prices settled as high as $114 a barrel in May, as strikes in the Middle East and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz choked off supplies from the Gulf. Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 15 July 2026 But everybody settled in, with time to do so thanks to the league’s return to an untimed format. Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 14 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for settled
Adjective
  • Both areas have deep sediment soil that sit atop alluvial valleys.
    Syra Ortiz-Blanes, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
  • Even a deep black pencil can feel softer and more natural because the pigment doesn’t sit as sharply on top of the skin.
    Marci Robin, Allure, 24 July 2026
Adjective
  • The other patients -- a male child, a 23-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman -- are in stable condition, according to the hospital.
    Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 27 July 2026
  • Miami’s German Berterame was hospitalized after landing on his head from an in-air collision and appearing to lose consciousness, but is said to now be stable and undergoing tests.
    Greg Cote July 26, Miami Herald, 26 July 2026
Verb
  • The water contained urine from the porta-potties that had been filtered through a system visible beneath the tank.
    Lauren Oyler, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • The smoke in Philadelphia had filtered down from wildfires in northern Ontario; cities across the United States issued air-quality warnings to residents, directing them to stay indoors as much as possible.
    Matt Gelb, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Verb
  • And the nearly three-hour adventure epic did not disappoint, transporting viewers armed with Jiffy Pop to a wartorn ancient world populated by heroes, gods, and monsters for two thrilling nights.
    Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 24 July 2026
  • Simulated traffic is populated by AI drivers trained through reinforcement learning to be deliberately difficult, cutting off the test vehicle to probe its weaknesses.
    Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 21 July 2026
Verb
  • First, the city’s second-longest serving mayor decided to retire less than halfway through her term.
    DJ Simmons July 27, Charlotte Observer, 27 July 2026
  • Joining him at the top of the medals stand was Jefferson-Wooden, whose main challenger, Gabby Thomas, has been running well but decided not to run at nationals.
    ABC News, ABC News, 26 July 2026
Verb
  • The age restriction for chimpanzee tracking is 12 years (gorillas, 15 years); childcare can be arranged if needed.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 July 2026
  • The graphic novel deal between Carlton, Deviant and Blackstone was arranged by Kimberly Whalen of The Whalen Agency.
    Jennifer Maas, Variety, 25 July 2026
Verb
  • One major bonus is the huge heated pool, perched in the ideal location for views across the city and out into the countryside.
    Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 23 July 2026
  • On Thursday morning, fat bees perched on black-and-blue sage flowers, and doves loudly fluttered from fruit tree to fruit tree.
    Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 23 July 2026
Verb
  • Parents lodged complaints about coaches, at least one athlete claimed they were being bullied and harassed by a teammate, and rival programs raised concerns about the team’s behavior in competitions.
    Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 July 2026
  • On April 29, the loose body that lurked in the backdrop all along became lodged inside Skubal’s elbow joint in front of the world.
    Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 22 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Settled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/settled. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

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