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
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
The sudden change in the teenager was dramatic and unsettling, as if some internal switch had been thrown.
—Dan Barry, Twin Cities, 21 July 2025
By placing a slasher story in a place that feels familiar, safe and insulated, Scream exploits the unsettling idea that horror can invade even the most ordinary lives.
—Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
It’s had a number of harrowing trailers and is now releasing full clips that the internet is finding deeply unsettling.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Adjective
Shot on 35 millimeter film, the film takes viewers on a surreal, unsettling trip, with an ensemble cast that includes Fry (Godfather of Harlem, Night Teeth), Madeline Brewer (The Handmaid’s Tale), Sheryl Lee (Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me), Matt Rife, Sarah Rich and Lara Clear.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
The sudden change in the teenager was dramatic and unsettling, as if some internal switch had been thrown.
—Dan Barry, Twin Cities, 21 July 2025
By placing a slasher story in a place that feels familiar, safe and insulated, Scream exploits the unsettling idea that horror can invade even the most ordinary lives.
—Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
It’s had a number of harrowing trailers and is now releasing full clips that the internet is finding deeply unsettling.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsettling
Adjective
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Not sure what’s funnier and more disturbing, Sweet Tooth’s urine test coming back as a black goo, or Axel not allowing a blood sample, presumably because his blood is gasoline.—
Rafael Motamayor,
Vulture,
14 Aug. 2025
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In the spring, Linda appeared in a disturbing social media video lifting the lid on the dysfunction in the family.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The United States and China have settled into a steady state of pragmatic, if uneasy, détente.—
Phil Mattingly,
CNN Money,
13 Aug. 2025
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Reading Zeller’s book, I was reminded that there is a kind of uneasy fellowship in this condition—a vast, involuntary community of people mapping out their lives between attacks, haunted by uncertainty but sustained in part by accounts like his.—
Jerome Groopman,
New Yorker,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Her diet grew so troubling that a foster family admitted her to Four Winds Hospital in Saratoga, New York, for an eating disorder.—
Noelle Wiehe,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Aug. 2025
-
Gauff tossed 16 double faults for the match, a troubling trend that was evident at the Canadian Open.—
Lukas Weese,
New York Times,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Take the tense scene inside a packed auditorium in Lincoln, Nebraska, recently, where Republican Rep. Mike Flood faced hundreds of constituents during an August 4 town hall.—
Saige Miller,
NPR,
15 Aug. 2025
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Following tense campus protests and intense scrutiny from the federal government, Columbia University will start considering a civil-discourse credential as part of its undergraduate admissions process.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
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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Amy Madigan’s striking performance is both funny and frightening, her witch an ancient, otherworldly being that only really understands power.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
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Chad Michael Murray's journey to acting began with a frightening trip to the hospital.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
10 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The vices of deficiency, such as being anxious, agitated, impatient, inattentive, and rash, are common everyday experiences.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
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Orange County students are returning to class this month as districts navigate an anxious back-to-school season shaped by immigration raids over the summer and the possibility that attendance drops could cut into school funding.—
Hanna Kang,
Oc Register,
15 Aug. 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 24 Aug. 2025.
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