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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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
What unsettles us, though, is a pause.
—
Essence, 3 Mar. 2026
Justin Tallis | Afp | Getty Images Airline stocks led losses in Asia on Monday as Middle East airspace disruptions and airport closures unsettled travel markets, while higher oil prices lifted energy shares amid escalating conflict in Iran.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 1 Mar. 2026
Villain twists, though, unsettle the viewers.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2026
The entrance of Thea Elvsted (Celeste Arias), a school girl acquaintance, both unsettles and diverts Hedda.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsettle
Essence, 3 Mar. 2026
Justin Tallis | Afp | Getty Images Airline stocks led losses in Asia on Monday as Middle East airspace disruptions and airport closures unsettled travel markets, while higher oil prices lifted energy shares amid escalating conflict in Iran.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 1 Mar. 2026
Villain twists, though, unsettle the viewers.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2026
The entrance of Thea Elvsted (Celeste Arias), a school girl acquaintance, both unsettles and diverts Hedda.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsettle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsettle
Verb
-
So, changing your eating patterns can disturb it and affect blood sugar control.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Shuttle buses often pause to allow passengers to observe animals without disturbing them.—
Karthika Gupta,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Here are Christian and Rick potentially alerting the game in a way never seen before in 50 seasons, and Devens is half-distracted the entire time dealing with a pesky Windsor knot.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The smooth black leather and wood-look rubber soles are perfect for elevating your office attire without distracting from the rest of your outfit.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Up until the past decade or so, food critics seldom bothered to write about casual cafes such as Zip's, instead focusing on the newest shiny-object restaurants in town.—
Keith Pandolfi,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Mar. 2026
-
None of that seems to have bothered Trump.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The statistics should alarm anyone concerned about American AI leadership.—
Eric Schmidt,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Those conflicts, however, did not initially appear serious enough to alarm adults around them.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Some Republicans are worried about Paxton’s chances in a general election as the GOP tries to keep control of the Senate in November, and worry that money will need to be spent in Texas that could otherwise go toward winning battleground states, according to Politico.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Mar. 2026
-
But don’t worry, by the time they’re gone, there’ll be another new treat to try.—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Legislators in 16 states have introduced bills this year that would limit education technology, or ed tech, in public schools, spurred by a growing grassroots movement of parents concerned about the amount of time their children are spending on screens.—
Tyler Kingkade,
NBC news,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Storm chances will gradually decrease after midnight; the most concerning window for severe storms and tornadoes is Tuesday evening.—
Albert Ramon,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
About 30 minutes into the flight, passengers said flight attendants began running up and down the aisle appearing agitated before making a startling announcement.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Use your hands to agitate the greens (this will dislodge any stubborn bits of grit or dirt), then drain and spin dry.—
Riley Wofford,
Martha Stewart,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unsettle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsettle. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
