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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in disturbing
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
the unnerving news of yet another murder
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 unnerve
Deborah Danan, Sun Sentinel, 26 June 2025
Trump talk of joining Iran-Israel conflict unnerves lawmakers.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 19 June 2025
But experiencing random dizzy spells throughout the day is nothing short of unnerving.
—Rachel Nall, SELF, 17 June 2025
By then, Trump had been reelected, unnerving many in the liberal city over his promise to enact the largest mass deportation operation in American history.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for unnerve
Verb
Elsewhere, tensions flared when a dog trainer descended into a shelter accompanied by 10 dogs, unnerving others who were sheltering there.
—Deborah Danan, Sun Sentinel, 26 June 2025
Trump talk of joining Iran-Israel conflict unnerves lawmakers.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 19 June 2025
But experiencing random dizzy spells throughout the day is nothing short of unnerving.
—Rachel Nall, SELF, 17 June 2025
By then, Trump had been reelected, unnerving many in the liberal city over his promise to enact the largest mass deportation operation in American history.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for unnerve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnerve
Adjective
-
To my mind, this is the most disturbing part of the retractions saga: the chaos, uncertainty, disrespect, and bullying, devoid of any underlying moral or philosophical reasoning.—
Elizabeth Kaye Cook
August 6,
Literary Hub,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Her dad, Taylor finds her art to be disturbing, but nonetheless harmless.—
DeVonne Goode,
Parents,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The United States and China have settled into a steady state of pragmatic, if uneasy, détente.—
Phil Mattingly,
CNN Money,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Reading Zeller’s book, I was reminded that there is a kind of uneasy fellowship in this condition—a vast, involuntary community of people mapping out their lives between attacks, haunted by uncertainty but sustained in part by accounts like his.—
Jerome Groopman,
New Yorker,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Their story was both deeply familiar and powerfully unsettling.—
Sam Wolson,
New Yorker,
7 Aug. 2025
-
The novel is unsettling but thrilling, and a classic work that has stood the test of time.—
Robert English,
EW.com,
30 July 2025
Adjective
-
Take the tense scene inside a packed auditorium in Lincoln, Nebraska, recently, where Republican Rep. Mike Flood faced hundreds of constituents during an August 4 town hall.—
Saige Miller,
NPR,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Following tense campus protests and intense scrutiny from the federal government, Columbia University will start considering a civil-discourse credential as part of its undergraduate admissions process.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The vices of deficiency, such as being anxious, agitated, impatient, inattentive, and rash, are common everyday experiences.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Orange County students are returning to class this month as districts navigate an anxious back-to-school season shaped by immigration raids over the summer and the possibility that attendance drops could cut into school funding.—
Hanna Kang,
Oc Register,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
But as Trump appears to ignore court decisions and high-level administration officials are suggesting suspending the writ of habeas corpus, Bolick is nervous the United States is heading toward authoritarianism.—
Amanda Luberto,
AZCentral.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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Students, meanwhile, often get nervous about asking for clarification or diving deeper into a topic in front of their peers.—
Shelbie Witte,
The Conversation,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
One suspects that much of the camp’s darkness will stem from the show’s creepy counsellor, played by Toni Collette.—
Shauna Lyon,
New Yorker,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Monsters may scurry around 'Alien: Earth,' but Noah Hawley suggests the really terrifying characters might be human beings Hawley says preserving the sheer horror of the original films was integral to his project, and as viewers will see, the Xenomorph eventually gets some creepy friends.—
Marco della Cava,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
This was Saint-Saëns’s first opera, and the restless brilliance of its invention cries out for more attention.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
-
All the activity on Earth’s surface — erupting volcanoes, shifting tectonic plates, restless seas and myriad forms of life — depends on the two-part engine under the hood.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unnerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnerve. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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