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
Since President Trump took office in January, Head Start centers have been unnerved by an escalating series of threats, including, most recently, total annihilation.
—
Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Briony then leads Jamie down a line of questioning that unnerves him.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2025
Several workers said that this indefinite period of leave has only unnerved them further as agencies eye deep additional cuts ordered by President Trump.
—Eileen Sullivan, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2025
How can Ghosts continue, if not to send us into spasms of offense, then still to electrify and unnerve, to shock not our delicate constitutions but our consciences, which, after all, was its intention all along?
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unnerve
Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Briony then leads Jamie down a line of questioning that unnerves him.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2025
Several workers said that this indefinite period of leave has only unnerved them further as agencies eye deep additional cuts ordered by President Trump.
—Eileen Sullivan, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2025
How can Ghosts continue, if not to send us into spasms of offense, then still to electrify and unnerve, to shock not our delicate constitutions but our consciences, which, after all, was its intention all along?
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unnerve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnerve
Verb
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Moving Forward With Strategic Confidence Economic uncertainty should not paralyze your business's strategy.—
David Zybin,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
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Horn was left partially paralyzed by the tiger attack and, after a brief comeback in 2010, the pair retired from show business.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2025
Verb
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Dimon, a heavyweight of traditional finance, has consistently used his perch to discourage regular investors and other financial leaders from getting involved.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
20 May 2025
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To discourage thieves and curiosity seekers, two feet of concrete was poured over his casket.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
19 May 2025
Verb
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The goal of strengthening Washington’s presence should be to reassure partners that U.S. pressure is designed to create stronger alliances, not to pave the way for abandonment, as well as to ensure that resisting China is viable for countries that are frightened by Beijing.—
A. Wess Mitchell,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
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The American Declaration of Independence and Constitution frightened monarchies and despots around the world without a single bullet or gunboat.—
Bruce Fein,
Baltimore Sun,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Alex Caruso, the 6-foot-5 defensive savant who spent so much of the evening frustrating the 6-11 Nikola Jokić, was the real MVP of the night (Jokić had 20 points on 5-of-9 shooting, with nine rebounds, seven assists and five turnovers).—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
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The naming practices can frustrate efforts to track the chemicals in food, to measure how much of the stuff people are taking in, and even to figure out precisely which chemicals a scientific study evaluated, researchers said.—
David Hilzenrath,
CNN Money,
19 May 2025
Verb
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The prospective repercussions terrify the corner of the AI universe concerned about safety, industry experts said, particularly as leading players pursue artificial general intelligence, or AGI, which is technology that rivals or exceeds human intelligence.—
Hayden Field,Jonathan Vanian,Jennifer Elias,
CNBC,
14 May 2025
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The radiotherapy had caused swelling in my brain—apparently a normal response, but still terrifying.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 May 2025
Verb
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That means people who are counting votes or knocking on doors can’t be intimidated, threatened or coerced.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
12 May 2025
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If mixing up cocktails at home seems intimidating, don't fear—the secret to your new favorite drink might already be in the back of your fridge.—
Heather Riske,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 May 2025
Verb
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Start to say no to distractions that do not serve your higher purpose, and start saying yes to the things that challenge you, stretch you and even scare you a little.—
Melissa Sierra,
Forbes.com,
7 May 2025
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What scares and excites you about where AI is headed for the next generation of artists?—
Lily Marks,
Time,
5 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unnerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnerve. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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