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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unsettling
Chloe Laws, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026
No matter how bright the future might be for the Giants, the present day remains a bit unsettling.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
McEwen revealed the project was inspired by unsettling personal experiences.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Adjective
This time, the drama steps beyond the fluorescent glow of Pierpoint’s trading floor and into a broader, more unsettling social landscape.
—Chloe Laws, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026
No matter how bright the future might be for the Giants, the present day remains a bit unsettling.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
There was something else unsettling about them.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
McEwen revealed the project was inspired by unsettling personal experiences.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsettling
Adjective
-
Some of those revelations are deeply disturbing.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
1 Feb. 2026
-
These disturbing images raise even more questions about Epstein and his relationships with some of the most powerful men in the world.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Chalk the moves up to uneasy investors.—
Brandon Kochkodin,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Kelly and King shake things up around the half-hour mark by venturing into the real world, where Grace (Cristin Milioti), the mother of two boys unusually far apart in age, starts being overcome by uneasy feelings about a cold dark void.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After her husband took her pets out of the room, Bloor then faced the even more delicate task of safely removing herself from the bed without alarming the snake.—
Phil Boucher,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
-
While a small sample size, the historical record for what happens after the S & P 500 has a down month after a seven-month win streak is more reassuring than alarming for the near term.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Recent casting decisions around the character Zoe Gutierrez in A 24’s Deep Cuts have exposed a troubling pattern.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The last two days have forced me to take a very hard look at my own troubling flaws.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Tempers flared during a recent pair of NBA games, and both contests were marred by tense clashes between players.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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Unnervingly tense, Ringu still holds up today as a watch-between-your-fingers favorite.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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It’s been only about three weeks since Trump toppled Maduro, and already a long line of other flashpoints — from immigration enforcement to Greenland — are distracting attention from what his administration is doing in Caracas.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The whole idea is to choose something that isn't too distracting.—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But that depiction was picked apart by a vast array of online onlookers, from law enforcement experts to ordinary Instagram users, some of whom replayed the videos frame by frame and zoomed in to show the episode in frightening detail.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
25 Jan. 2026
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The news this week that CPW employees are facing a variety of threats from radical elements in both groups of Coloradans strikes us as ironic sad — and frightening.—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Flat, calm but earnest, mildly anxious, blunted, volatile.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Times of Troy survey After an anxious few weeks for Trojan fans, USC finally has its next defensive coordinator.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unsettling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsettling. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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