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
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
Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for unnerve
Verb
That his girlfriend lives in a world where she’s remained unaware of any of these movies unnerves him.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for unnerve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnerve
Adjective
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The withdrawn teen obsessively draws dark spiders in class and shows a disturbing fixation on news reports of school shootings.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
6 June 2025
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His disturbing legacy drew the attention of filmmaker and former HBO executive Kary Antholis, who had followed the case for decades.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
In the wake of multiple plane crashes, and amid erratic federal policies and denials and detentions at border crossings, summer travel in the U.S. is in an uneasy state.—
Kevinisha Walker,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2025
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To the south, there’s the United Arab Emirates, where again, there has been an uneasy relationship at times.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Graham says the casting team had considered looking for an older boy, given the demands of the role and the show’s unsettling subject matter.—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2025
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Human Parallels: Our Bias Toward Confident Eloquence Perhaps most unsettling is how closely this AI limitation mirrors a persistent human cognitive bias.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
Adjective
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But recently, her videos detailing her tense, hours-long encounter with Customs at MIA went viral.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2025
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While the two countries have announced a temporary truce that rolled back the three-digit tariffs for 90 days, relations remain tense with ongoing feuding over chip restrictions imposed by the US.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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On Tires, Gerben plays Will, the anxious and unqualified son of the auto-repair chain's owner.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
5 June 2025
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As a result, children can become frustrated and anxious when trying to learn math.—
Jennifer Pierce,
USA Today,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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The video highlighted how visibly nervous Jessie was while using jokes to get through the show.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
6 June 2025
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In a video played on Thursday's episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Hamill is shown giving his opening monologue declaring his love for film when a nervous expression crosses his face.—
Mekishana Pierre Updated,
EW.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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Devon is suspicious of Simone’s borderline creepy relationship with her boss, Michaela Kell (Julianne Moore), and ambushes her with an intervention at the Kells’ island home.—
Emily Blackwood,
People.com,
3 June 2025
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Bug poems can’t completely sublimate their object of poetic attention—bugs are too creepy and alive.—
Hannah Brooks-Motl
June 2,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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Nothing rings more true than the trope of the restless adolescent.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
People.com,
7 June 2025
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Across 17 restless songs, packed into 30 minutes, Mel V growls and scream-raps her way through a vicious yet silly mind dump.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unnerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnerve. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
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