UNSETTLE Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

unsettle

verb

ˌən-ˈse-tᵊl

Definition of unsettle

as in to disturb

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy the news that the local grocery store had sold contaminated produce unsettled many shoppers

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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.

Recent Examples of unsettle And the race’s constant churn—frontrunners dropping out, Crowley in then out, then back in with endorsements galore—has left the field decidedly unsettled. — Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Aug. 2026 This comes after a Texas Southern University (TSU) poll released three days earlier found Republicans still holding comfortable leads in those same races, a split that shows how unsettled the November ballot remains. — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026 But the proceedings add to a recent rough stretch for Illinois Democrats, who hold supermajorities in both chambers of the General Assembly but have been unsettled in recent weeks. — Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026 Spry said the attacker could have targeted any neighborhood residents — a thought that still unsettles her, given how easily the situation could have escalated. — Doha Madani, NBC news, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unsettle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsettle

Verb

Sulfur-rich gases reaching the upper atmosphere could reflect sunlight and temporarily cool the climate, disturbing rainfall and reducing harvests worldwide.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
Some people think putting more and more effects is the best way to express ourselves for the audience, and some filmmakers just want to keep the balance without disturbing the original movie.

— Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of disturb

Verb

Investigators say a tire was placed in the road in a plot to distract and kill Jared Bridegan, 33, in Jacksonville Beach in 2022.

— CBS News, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
Kiser’s husband, Brady Kiser, said he had been briefly distracted while watching Trigg while his wife was away.

— Shayna Jacobs, NBC news, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of distract

Verb

Contreras rarely takes days off but asked for a day off Sunday with his leg bothering him.

— Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Chapman won’t play another game for the Giants this year after undergoing core muscle surgery earlier this week, but the 33-year-old has finally addressed an ailment that’s bothered him for effectively the whole season.

— Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of bother

Verb

Garcia said that before the attack, residents were already alarmed by a May news release from the city manager of neighboring Rio Vista, who warned that the project and potential annexation could open the door to a giant data center being built.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Terrified Jewish voters—alarmed by progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s anti-Zionist rhetoric—are fleeing to Republican Mike Rogers for self-preservation.

— Staff, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of alarm

Verb

By identifying exactly what the frustration concerns before reacting, leaders are more likely to channel emotion toward fixing broken systems instead of attacking individuals.

— Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
At least as far as productivity is concerned, there is some merit to this thinking.

— Kenneth S. Rogoff, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of concern

Verb

Too much precarity, too little success, and too much commitment to naturally-occurring outcomes means that openly agitating for more diversity can be a nonstarter.

— Adia Harvey Wingfield, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Instead of budgeting for $1,800 in tissues, the school insists on agitating parents all summer over crap like this.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of agitate

Browse Nearby Words

unserviceable

unsettle

unsettled

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“Unsettle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsettle. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of unsettle

verb

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