settles

present tense third-person singular of settle
1
as in lays
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 inhabits
to supply with inhabitants the region was originally settled by farmers

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3
4
5
as in perches
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 contains
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 shushes
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 settles The Cortège gestures toward that transcendence, but too often settles for the kind of veiled enchantment that follows us home through our screens. David Hochman, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025 Humanity, united by one language, settles on a plain in Shinar and begins constructing a tower to reach the heavens and make a name for themselves. John Fugelsang september 12, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025 Bet $5 on Commanders-Packers or on one of tonight's MLB games and get $300 in bonus bets if your initial wager settles as a win by clicking here. Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025 Season five, debuting this week, settles right into its usual rhythms, opening in the aftermath of last year’s finale and the surprise death of Lester (Teddy Coluca), the Arconia’s genial doorman since season one. Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2025 When the smoke settles (quite literally) and people return, their bodies suffer the consequences, and our hospitals have the evidence. Lahari Vuppaladhadiam, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025 That settles into a spicy suede with cardamom and benzoin, before warming into tonka bean, amber, and musk. Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 5 Sep. 2025 Without the presence of adequate airflow, the dust has no where to go and settles on various surfaces. Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025 Understanding these dynamics is a key piece in the puzzle of planet formation, as dust settles into larger layers including pebbles and rocks, and eventually planetary cores. Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for settles
Verb
  • Paired with adaptive dampers, this hardware enables advanced driver-assistance features and lays the groundwork for future updates.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Overnight, crews will build hose lays along fire breaks and reinforce lines.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The festival inhabits empty buildings in Riga, exploring their potential and possible development strategies that could be used to regenerate them.
    Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • The pomegranate contains all the commandments of God in its seeds; the divine inhabits it.
    Demir Alp, JSTOR Daily, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The cat decides its favorite spot to sleep is also a great place to stretch and scratch.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Perhaps America won’t be healthy again until Kennedy simply decides to declare victory, regardless of what the next three years bring.
    Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Chronological Border arranges the beds in chronological order from the 16th to the 20th century.
    Jeanine Barone, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The Latest section, on the other hand, arranges posts and reels in chronological order, with the most recent ones appearing first.
    Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • And frequent appearances by a pigeon that perches on her windowsill like a Greek chorus, mocking her self-abasement and growing detachment from reality, seem a tad heavy-handed.
    Book Marks August 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
  • The letters, which actors sometimes pose alongside (Oh perches punningly in the O), recall those giant signs which give tourists a place to take selfies.
    Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The way Skye nestles her head into the crook of her brother’s neck or drapes herself across his legs after an unembarrassed display of grief is ineffably moving.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Using Probiotic Supplements As mentioned above, there’s a (very small) amount of evidence that eating probiotic cheese calms the effects of drinking.
    Jamie Ducharme, Health, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Research shows that spending time in green spaces calms the nervous system and reduces stress.
    Jessica DuLong, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The First 70 Years contains impeccable research and analysis, accompanied by fascinating photos of the sets, film crews, and casts.
    Michael Taube, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The system contains unverified reports of side effects, including from patients, doctors and pharmacists.
    Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Settles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/settles. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

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