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
Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025
Gloriously unsettling, disturbing, and full of twists and turns, Servant is a spectacular look at family and the inescapable weight of grief.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 24 Apr. 2025
Headlining names include large-scale Danish Icelandic sculptor Olafur Eliasson and Brazilian artist Ernesto, known for his unsettling, organic knitted pieces.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 14 Apr. 2025
The voice of Pope Francis has been such a voice—gentle, disarming, and at times, unsettling.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Adjective
In the series, Moore plays the wildly wealthy, but mysterious Michaela Kell, who presides over her luxurious seaside estate, Cliff House, with a rather unsettling air (there’s kind of a Wicker Man/Midsommar in Lily Pulitzer vibe to the whole place).
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025
Gloriously unsettling, disturbing, and full of twists and turns, Servant is a spectacular look at family and the inescapable weight of grief.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 24 Apr. 2025
Headlining names include large-scale Danish Icelandic sculptor Olafur Eliasson and Brazilian artist Ernesto, known for his unsettling, organic knitted pieces.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 14 Apr. 2025
The voice of Pope Francis has been such a voice—gentle, disarming, and at times, unsettling.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsettling
Adjective
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Proponents have long invoked civil rights language to promote vouchers, a disturbing rhetorical choice given vouchers originated as a tool for southern white parents to avoid the Supreme Court's desegregation order in Brown v. Board of Education.—
Kevin Sabet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
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Actress Isabella Rossellini reflects on the film’s disturbing material and autobiographical elements while resisting reductive interpretations.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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These chewy ginger candies are her secret weapon for taming an uneasy stomach naturally.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
9 May 2025
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The Wall Street firm predicted that international institutional investors could be rethinking their appetite and risk-reward in U.S. investments as the current uneasy macroenvironment keeps them on edge.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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That historical tension—between the promise of scientific freedom and the peril of political control—may now be resurfacing in troubling ways.—
Alondra Nelson,
Time,
13 May 2025
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Even beyond the legal angle, this chaotic tariff regime reveals something more troubling: a total absence of strategic thinking.—
Aron Solomon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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The composition is credited to the film’s actors Lola Kirke, Peter Dreams, Brian Dunphy, Darren Holden and Jack O'Connell, who perform it in a quieter moment in the movie, breaking up the action and some tense storytelling.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
11 May 2025
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The arrival of a little orphan girl challenges their sense of solidarity in a tense social climate, revealing both their fragility and strength.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
11 May 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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These frightening and repulsive actions represent the most significant breach on our Capitol in over two hundred years.—
Sonam Sheth
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
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Mellencamp's frightening diagnosis, though, hasn't stopped her resolve.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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This productivity decline stems from several factors: Workplace morale deteriorates Remaining employees absorb additional responsibilities Teams become anxious about future job security When employees question whether their leaders truly value them, their enthusiasm and dedication suffer.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
11 May 2025
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Nobel laureates, such as MIT’s Daron Acemoglu, are worried about its capacity to worsen income inequalities, and ordinary American workers are anxious about AI’s impact on jobs.—
Bhaskar Chakravorti,
Harvard Business Review,
8 May 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 20 May. 2025.
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