as in disturbs
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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Recent Examples of unsettles
An unexpected visitor at the ER later unsettles both patients and staff.
—
Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Diana’s death unsettles both John and Carolyn in the series.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
What unsettles us, though, is a pause.
—Essence, 3 Mar. 2026
The film’s plot is thrust in motion when a series of perverse scam calls unsettles an idyllic retirement community, watching as a starry-eyed nurse (Cemre Paksoy) becomes entangled with her mysterious patient (Bruce McKenzie).
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 Mar. 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
What unsettles me just as deeply is the anti-immigrant mood on the ground.
—Valeng Cha, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
Still, the advent of the star unsettles these familiar pathways.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, Geon-young’s detainment has upset the Prosecutors’ Office, which in turn unsettles Chief Na (Oh Dae-suk), who is Cheon’s main rival within the presidential cabinet.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Diana’s death unsettles both John and Carolyn in the series.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
What unsettles us, though, is a pause.
—Essence, 3 Mar. 2026
The film’s plot is thrust in motion when a series of perverse scam calls unsettles an idyllic retirement community, watching as a starry-eyed nurse (Cemre Paksoy) becomes entangled with her mysterious patient (Bruce McKenzie).
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 Mar. 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
What unsettles me just as deeply is the anti-immigrant mood on the ground.
—Valeng Cha, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
Still, the advent of the star unsettles these familiar pathways.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, Geon-young’s detainment has upset the Prosecutors’ Office, which in turn unsettles Chief Na (Oh Dae-suk), who is Cheon’s main rival within the presidential cabinet.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsettles
Verb
-
The Leo moon disturbs unconscious patterns that are ready to be interrupted.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Removing nodules from the ocean floor disturbs the silty seabed that's home to many organisms, like worms and small crustaceans, the scientists found.—
Lauren Sommer,
NPR,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
His approach is to look at what bothers that person the most.—
Kaicey Baylor,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The political rhetoric aimed at ridiculing Canada bothers Johnson.—
Jeanne Bonner,
CNN Money,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That is when Harbaugh will be able to crystallize for players like Cam Skattebo that football is the priority, and any outside nonsense that distracts from the goal of winning games is not going to be tolerated anymore.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Reading chairs can become hotspots for clutter, which distracts from rest.—
Shagun Khare,
The Spruce,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Minneapolis — Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, whose detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement sparked global outrage earlier this year, constantly worries about being detained once again, his parents told CBS News in an exclusive interview.—
Camilo Montoya-Galvez,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
In this sketch, a group of women worries about whether their husbands in the other room are getting along.—
Rima Parikh,
Vulture,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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What concerns her most is that the current moment is reshuffling economic roles without doing the deeper cultural work.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Miller’s 1968 play, written during the agonizing days of the Vietnam War, concerns the disposition of the remains of a once-illustrious estate.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Whether that future excites or alarms fans, the law—not nostalgia or tradition—will determine who suits up in March.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The development of Moltbook, with AI bots forming their own social media, alarms him.—
Joe Hagan,
Vanity Fair,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
LaCava said the change seems like another city policy that angers many residents without major impact.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
-
What angers me is thinking about what could have been.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The machine dryer agitates the clothing and prevents fibers from stiffening during drying, which is why clothing comes out feeling soft.—
Emily Benda Gaylord,
The Spruce,
23 Feb. 2026
-
This agitates me and my lead foot.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unsettles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsettles. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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