unnerving 1 of 2

unnerving

2 of 2

verb

present participle of unnerve
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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnerving
Adjective
  • Proponents have long invoked civil rights language to promote vouchers, a disturbing rhetorical choice given vouchers originated as a tool for southern white parents to avoid the Supreme Court's desegregation order in Brown v. Board of Education.
    Kevin Sabet, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025
  • Actress Isabella Rossellini reflects on the film’s disturbing material and autobiographical elements while resisting reductive interpretations.
    Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • That conflict of interest was paralyzing when the state auditor worked for the governor and Cabinet instead of for the Legislature.
    Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2025
  • After her oxygen level reached a hundred per cent, the nurse delivered paralyzing medication.
    Ayesha Khan, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Good air circulation will allow leaves and stems to dry out, discouraging disease.
    Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
  • Actions by officials in the two countries are also discouraging Canadian tourists from looking south.
    Skyler Swisher, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • These chewy ginger candies are her secret weapon for taming an uneasy stomach naturally.
    Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 9 May 2025
  • The Wall Street firm predicted that international institutional investors could be rethinking their appetite and risk-reward in U.S. investments as the current uneasy macroenvironment keeps them on edge.
    Yun Li, CNBC, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • Squeezing into the narrow confines, the clang of the metal doors closing and the nearness of their neighbors can be unsettling, if not downright dangerous.
    Dana O'Neil, New York Times, 3 May 2025
  • That's unsettling for Mobile native Darron Patterson.
    Debbie Elliott, NPR, 1 May 2025
Adjective
  • The arrival of a little orphan girl challenges their sense of solidarity in a tense social climate, revealing both their fragility and strength.
    Leo Barraclough, Variety, 11 May 2025
  • The composition is credited to the film’s actors Lola Kirke, Peter Dreams, Brian Dunphy, Darren Holden and Jack O'Connell, who perform it in a quieter moment in the movie, breaking up the action and some tense storytelling.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
Verb
  • Relapse is alluring, Bart is intimidating, and Son is mysterious.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025
  • While the market’s recent volatility can be intimidating, experts generally recommend investors focus on their long-term goals.
    Ana Teresa Solá, CNBC, 14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • This productivity decline stems from several factors: Workplace morale deteriorates Remaining employees absorb additional responsibilities Teams become anxious about future job security When employees question whether their leaders truly value them, their enthusiasm and dedication suffer.
    Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
  • Nobel laureates, such as MIT’s Daron Acemoglu, are worried about its capacity to worsen income inequalities, and ordinary American workers are anxious about AI’s impact on jobs.
    Bhaskar Chakravorti, Harvard Business Review, 8 May 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Unnerving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnerving. Accessed 20 May. 2025.

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