as in disturbing
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
the unnerving news of yet another murder
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in paralyzing
to deprive of courage or confidence
the riding accident so unnerved me that for a while I was afraid to get back on a horse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in discouraging
to lessen the courage or confidence of
a figure skater can't afford to be unnerved by an occasional slipup
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unnerving
Ethan Beck, Pitchfork, 12 May 2026
Spiders can help control other insects, but finding an infestation in your home can still be unnerving.
—Dan Simms, USA Today, 8 May 2026
Her unnerving 1950 classic, which became a Hitchcock film, is about two strangers who meet on a train and decide to exchange murders.
—Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
But there was nothing but heavy silence, inscrutable and somewhat unnerving.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Some reported hearing the same unnerving screams in other parts of the state.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
In her latest Netflix action effort, Theron plays a woman who sets off on a trip to Australia to soothe her grief but unwittingly crosses paths with Egerton’s unnerving hunter, who forces her into a game of cat and mouse.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
Jason Robertson isn’t quite Ralph Cox, but there are unnerving similarities, and there is nothing the Dallas Stars forward can do to change that reality.
—Mac Engel
april 21, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2026
In it, a husband and wife adopt a cat, Sheila, who develops an unnerving disposition come nightfall.
—Mariella Rudi, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
The president immediately began speaking more about buying or seizing Greenland, further unnerving NATO allies.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 2 May 2026
The most recent of these was just two years ago, when eastern and central swathes of the United States experienced the path of totality, the phenomenon that casts daytime into eerie midnight blackness for unnerving lengths of time.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 14 Apr. 2026
The White House is attempting to manage a large-scale military confrontation with an undefined exit strategy—a confrontation that is unnerving markets.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2026
Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil is transported, is sparking concerns about tightening energy supplies -- unnerving the world economy.
—Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2026
Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported, is sparking concerns about tightening energy supplies — unnerving the world economy.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Iran’s attacks on Gulf nations and its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported, have given rise to increasing concerns of a global energy crisis and are unnerving the world economy.
—Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026
There’s something unnerving about the mundane thwack of the rhythms.
—Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Some of Weitz’s glitches seem to sprout off the guitar arrangements, adding unnerving shadows.
—Ethan Beck, Pitchfork, 12 May 2026
Spiders can help control other insects, but finding an infestation in your home can still be unnerving.
—Dan Simms, USA Today, 8 May 2026
Her unnerving 1950 classic, which became a Hitchcock film, is about two strangers who meet on a train and decide to exchange murders.
—Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
But there was nothing but heavy silence, inscrutable and somewhat unnerving.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Some reported hearing the same unnerving screams in other parts of the state.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
In her latest Netflix action effort, Theron plays a woman who sets off on a trip to Australia to soothe her grief but unwittingly crosses paths with Egerton’s unnerving hunter, who forces her into a game of cat and mouse.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
Jason Robertson isn’t quite Ralph Cox, but there are unnerving similarities, and there is nothing the Dallas Stars forward can do to change that reality.
—Mac Engel
april 21, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2026
In it, a husband and wife adopt a cat, Sheila, who develops an unnerving disposition come nightfall.
—Mariella Rudi, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
Still, Hollywood, and its significance to moviemaking, has a singular, unnerving allure on her.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
The president immediately began speaking more about buying or seizing Greenland, further unnerving NATO allies.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 2 May 2026
The most recent of these was just two years ago, when eastern and central swathes of the United States experienced the path of totality, the phenomenon that casts daytime into eerie midnight blackness for unnerving lengths of time.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 14 Apr. 2026
The White House is attempting to manage a large-scale military confrontation with an undefined exit strategy—a confrontation that is unnerving markets.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2026
Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil is transported, is sparking concerns about tightening energy supplies -- unnerving the world economy.
—Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2026
Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported, is sparking concerns about tightening energy supplies — unnerving the world economy.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Iran’s attacks on Gulf nations and its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported, have given rise to increasing concerns of a global energy crisis and are unnerving the world economy.
—Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026
There’s something unnerving about the mundane thwack of the rhythms.
—Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnerving
Adjective
-
There’s something disturbing about watching these already commonplace delusions about ChatGPT — Your particular version has a soul!—
Vulture,
Vulture,
17 May 2026
-
But as dubious therapies and unsettling postcolonial rituals blur the line between wellness and manipulation, Alexa begins uncovering the disturbing forces hidden beneath the retreat’s seductive façade.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
To him, these alliances resemble the tiny Lilliputians trying to bind the giant Gulliver with paralyzing strings.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
11 May 2026
-
These figures can feel abstract, even paralyzing.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
If an override did occur and was reversed by a manager who trusted the system's track record, the structure is actively discouraging the judgment it was built to include.—
Tiffany Archer,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
But that wasn't the only discouraging news this week.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Nowhere is this truer than in Russia, a nation marked by a long history of political repression alongside extraordinary literary brilliance, a rare and uneasy combination.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
Two women form an uneasy alliance to stop the killer — but their own motives end up playing a role in what happens next.—
Diya Chacko,
Oc Register,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Clumsiness notwithstanding, bringing a criminal case against a journalist who was reporting on a protest is an authoritarian tactic—a means of frightening the press away from uncovering the truth.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
-
But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The documentary’s contradiction is right there, enthralling us with the wild achievements Potter pulled off and frustrating us with his bombast, leading us to ponder whether, as The Dark Wizard suggests, either could exist without the other.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
-
Mack and the Chargers’ defense pressured quarterbacks Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, frustrating them and keeping them out of their comfort zones.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Tensions mount, especially when Matt reenters the picture, and Max Fabian’s fight choreography creates some unsettling moments.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
And that is not even touching on all the unsettling racial humor that came with having Shane Gillis and Tony Hinchliffe — two comedians who have actually faced backlash for hate speech — on the dais for the roast of a Black entertainer.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon is breathtaking and also terrifying with a 4-year-old along.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
-
Facing the endless Cylon onslaught in the void of space is terrifying even in 2D battles, but many of Scattered Hopes' gut punches happen during unexpected narrative events or tough choices that doom entire ship populations.—
Ian Stokes,
Space.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unnerving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnerving. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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