1
as in to paralyze
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to discourage
to lessen the courage or confidence of
a figure skater can't afford to be unnerved by an occasional slipup
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unnerve
Several of the senators have been unnerved by recent statements from admistration officials about taking Greenland by force.
—
Tara Suter, The Hill, 12 Jan. 2026
Council insiders suggested Camilo’s political background could unnerve some of the chamber’s left-leaning members, especially as the body prepares to work with Mamdani, a democratic socialist.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
The videos shared by robot builder and researcher Logan Olson from October show the training exercise that enables a humanoid unit to suddenly drop to all fours and crawl at an unnerving speed and with unnerving flexibility.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 5 Dec. 2025
Especially unnerving this year for hoteliers was a far less robust summer than normal, so much so that nightly rates for the hotel group fell by as much as 10%, depending on the day of the week, Gleason said.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unnerve
Tara Suter, The Hill, 12 Jan. 2026
Council insiders suggested Camilo’s political background could unnerve some of the chamber’s left-leaning members, especially as the body prepares to work with Mamdani, a democratic socialist.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
The videos shared by robot builder and researcher Logan Olson from October show the training exercise that enables a humanoid unit to suddenly drop to all fours and crawl at an unnerving speed and with unnerving flexibility.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 5 Dec. 2025
Especially unnerving this year for hoteliers was a far less robust summer than normal, so much so that nightly rates for the hotel group fell by as much as 10%, depending on the day of the week, Gleason said.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unnerve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnerve
Verb
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The differences between the two major models, along with other forecast guidance, equates to the difference between a paralyzing blizzard along the I-95 corridor and a largely forgettable bout of light snow.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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But, like so many domestic violence survivors, she was paralyzed with fear in the moment.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The bitter taste discourages some animals, and others are put off by the smell.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
23 Feb. 2026
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And try not to get discouraged by a stitch, either.—
Sarah Klein,
Outside,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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While 21 page-menus might frighten the coach of a position where speed and agility are crucial, these types of moments are exactly how Harris thinks his unit will mesh.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
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That habit didn’t endear the Alspaws to anyone nearby, including one neighbor who threatened to shoot Brittany after the Alspaws frightened his horses.—
Tessa Stuart,
Rolling Stone,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Many Japanese, frustrated by China's growing assertiveness, welcomed her comments on Taiwan.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Feb. 2026
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Many Democrats are frustrated Other polling suggests that Democrats’ post-2024 slump is unusually large.—
Linley Sanders,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And with his clutch reputation, teams are terrified of him in big moments.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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But after that, the administration was terrified of losing Tang – Arkansas had been sniffing around – and in order to guarantee that the coach who had led a whopping 36 games in his lifetime wasn’t going anywhere, gave him a fresh new deal with a bunch more money.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cash’s fine-dining pedigree (including time at Per Se and Noma) might suggest formality, but the brick walls and leather banquettes feel inviting, not intimidating.—
Karla Walsh,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Feb. 2026
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Sunderland 1-1 Fulham Everton vs Manchester United An evening kick-off at Goodison Park, under the floodlights, could be intimidating for visiting teams — and sometimes for the home team.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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What happened Tuesday should scare away any of the remaining top prospects who would want to play for this berating blowhard.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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Some cities in China have banned fireworks out of concerns over safety and air pollution, but the measures are controversial as firecrackers, traditionally used to scare off evil spirits, remain central to Lunar New Year celebrations.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unnerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnerve. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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