as in relaxing
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in filtering
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in populating
to supply with inhabitants
the region was originally settled by farmers
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3
as in deciding
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 arranging
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 perching
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 lodging
to establish or place comfortably or snugly
settled the sleeping baby into her crib
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7
as in composing
to free from distress or disturbance
a hot meal settled the children down
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8
as in containing
to gain emotional or mental control of
settled himself only with visible effort after the angry outburst
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9
as in paying
to give what is owed for
settle a debt
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10
as in determining
to make final, definite, or beyond dispute
this information should settle the question of who is right
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11
as in shushing
to stop the noise or speech of
settled the class with a firm "quiet!"
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of settling
Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
Shopping for designer shoes on sale doesn’t have to mean scouring the internet for vintage and secondhand styles, or settling for designs that are no longer in season.
—Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 10 Apr. 2026
Seasoned professionals are settling for entry-level jobs to survive, while new graduates are largely shut out.
—Solo Ceesay, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026
Despite all the housewarming festivities and fireworks, Inter Miami left its Nu Stadium debut unsatisfied last weekend after settling for a tie against Austin FC.
—Michelle Kaufman
april 10, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
The ball bounced back toward the hole and ended up settling off the green.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2026
Gore talked about an early struggle with ball placement before settling in.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2026
And still, months into their engagement, Jo was having nightmares—dreams about settling.
—Jenny Singer, Glamour, 8 Apr. 2026
Joan asked, settling in beside them with a glass of white wine.
—Catherine Lacey, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Individuals who remain in the class and submit valid claims release their rights to sue Cargill or Tyson over the same allegations, but retain any rights against non-settling defendants.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
While this doesn't erase the debt instantly, settling for less than the full balance can stop further collection efforts and, in some cases, prevent legal action.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
Shopping for designer shoes on sale doesn’t have to mean scouring the internet for vintage and secondhand styles, or settling for designs that are no longer in season.
—Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 10 Apr. 2026
Seasoned professionals are settling for entry-level jobs to survive, while new graduates are largely shut out.
—Solo Ceesay, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026
Despite all the housewarming festivities and fireworks, Inter Miami left its Nu Stadium debut unsatisfied last weekend after settling for a tie against Austin FC.
—Michelle Kaufman
april 10, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
The ball bounced back toward the hole and ended up settling off the green.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2026
Gore talked about an early struggle with ball placement before settling in.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2026
And still, months into their engagement, Jo was having nightmares—dreams about settling.
—Jenny Singer, Glamour, 8 Apr. 2026
Joan asked, settling in beside them with a glass of white wine.
—Catherine Lacey, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for settling
Adjective
-
This is supposed to be a relaxing hobby!—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
8 Apr. 2026
-
This left zero time for serendipity — or just plain relaxing.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If they’re not changed often enough, clogs can prevent them from filtering air properly.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Results will start filtering in for the state Supreme Court race and local contests.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
People who see ghosts tend to see the same ghost wafting down the same staircase, but none of the characters populating Leo’s wacko hallucinations have returned for a repeat perfor-mance.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
-
As more spacecraft are slated to start populating this area thanks to private companies launching their own satellites and landers (more on that shortly), resolving how to remain safe in cislunar space is top of mind.—
Monisha Ravisetti,
Space.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If something feels off, pause, step away, and check the details before deciding.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
-
In 2025, Canada canceled its popular annual showcase, after deciding that hostile policies made the risks not worth the rewards.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But these three high school students aren't arranging bouquets in a floral shop.—
Bo Evans,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
In the city center, the five-star boutique Anthology of Athens by the award-winning Elastic Architects has been arranging secluded luxury stays steps from the Acropolis since late 2024.—
Yulia Denisyuk,
Robb Report,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The rehabilitation team was worried about his hallux, or rear-facing toe, which eagles need for grabbing prey and perching.—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Birds need a complete habitat that includes food, shelter, nesting areas and perching spots.—
Tim Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Anyone going this route should plan travel and lodging with flexible cancellation options — last-minute availability is rare.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The people were lodging complaints about the government's intensifying crackdown on the internet that has seen regular shutdowns of cellphone internet connections, blocked popular messaging apps and cut access to thousands of other websites and digital services.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Why, Fredriksen has asked, would writers of the mid-second century, composing pseudonymous letters in the voice of a first-century figure, include statements predicting Christ’s imminent return?—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Seeing something on the moon, describing it, and composing a photograph from a very close distance is a different experience from viewing something from afar, or even seeing a close-up captured by a robotic camera.—
Rebecca Boyle,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Settling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/settling. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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