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
-
None of that, nor the fact Beckham missed all of 2025, bothers Harbaugh.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Even if their own tax bill is manageable, the idea that the wealthy are underpaying — or that the government is wasting their dollars — bothers many.—
Linley Sanders,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Or maybe a still-working phonograph of Edison’s invention distracts you, until a wall of portraits of 1920s electrical manufacturing workers pulls your gaze in a new direction.—
Michael Kilian,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Ultimately, this distracts from the struggles experienced by all those marginalized on the basis of gender.—
Jenna Norosky,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With irrigation shrinking and solar replacing crops, longtime farmworker Rosa Ramirez worries about disappearing jobs.—
Jeff St. John,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
-
More than anything, Arca worries about safety in the shelter — but not from the war.—
Theia Chatelle,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This new release, obviously, concerns the latter two innovations.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
21 Apr. 2026
-
That history concerns Artemis 1, which sent an uncrewed Orion to lunar orbit and back to Earth in late 2022.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
17 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 28 Apr. 2026.
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