ˌən-ˈset-liŋ
1
as in disturbing
causing worry or anxiety
unsettling new developments in the effort to bring peace and stability to that region
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in uneasy
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
had the unsettling task of picking out a coffin and making the other funeral arrangements for his father
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in alarming
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unsettling
Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 18 Apr. 2025
When his glistening herb-mint facial mask peels off, his real mask slips, revealing his unsettling stare.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2025
Even when purporting to tell his own story, Cronenberg cannot help but leave us with something more expansively unsettling.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2025
Some are terrifying, many unsettling, but most are at the very least provocative.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Adjective
The short story already is relentlessly dour, but watching, listening, and playing through AM's digital hell is far more unsettling than reading about it.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 18 Apr. 2025
When his glistening herb-mint facial mask peels off, his real mask slips, revealing his unsettling stare.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2025
Even when purporting to tell his own story, Cronenberg cannot help but leave us with something more expansively unsettling.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2025
Some are terrifying, many unsettling, but most are at the very least provocative.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsettling
Adjective
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In cases where advertising is inevitable, some prefer ads that appeal on a personal level over messaging that can be inappropriate or, even, disturbing and offensive.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
16 Apr. 2025
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Ghosts that wink could be scary but the face Sal makes is disturbing in other ways.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Consumer sentiment and expectations Americans are feeling uneasy about the economy, and that is showing up in the data.—
Russ Wiles,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
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Markets have been turbulent ever since as trade policy uncertainty leaves investors uneasy.—
Chris DiLella,
CNBC,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Trump imperils Harvard’s nonprofit status Don Ingber, a renowned biologist at Harvard, woke up this week to a troubling email.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
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From around 2006 to 2010, a series of major business downturns, including a bankruptcy filing and several key lawsuits, led Kinkade into a downward spiral of troubling public behavior and substance abuse.—
Gary Goldstein,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The power of HOAs over homeowners has been a tense conversation across North Carolina.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Apr. 2025
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Erceg, 29, is known for putting out fires — tense situations in which the opposing team is threatening to score.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Occupying and distracting the mind.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
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While most of the acting is wonderful (Wyle is predictably great, but so is just about all of the main cast), some patient-of-the-week players err towards distracting histrionics.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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After the frightening threat, the man suddenly ran off in an unknown direction.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2025
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Serena Joy Waterford is among the most frightening, dead-hearted women ever written for the small screen.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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How to know when your dog is agitated Identifying an anxious or aggressive dog can be tricky, as negative and positive emotional indicators can often be confused.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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The Fed chief said Wednesday the central bank can be patient while assessing data on inflation and employment, which are its dual mandates, while anxious consumers and businesses eye potentially prolonged economic instability.—
Alexis Simendinger,
The Hill,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Overweight and obesity need to be treated safely and effectively to avoid that worrying forecast.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Dec. 2024
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Bitcoin has dropping back from its all-time high of over $100,000 in the last week as BlackRock quietly confirmed a worrying bitcoin bombshell.—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Unsettling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsettling. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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