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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Henry Austin, NBC news, 7 Jan. 2026
In post after post, students called the sight unsettling.
—Leah Willingham, Fortune, 7 Jan. 2026
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
The excuse of Manchester United’s summer interest unsettling Baleba is wearing thin.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Adjective
Unrest at the Tehran bazaar is particularly unsettling for officials because the shuttering of shops at the ancient marketplace and protests from the merchant class were key elements that led to the overthrow of the monarchy in 1979.
—Henry Austin, NBC news, 7 Jan. 2026
In post after post, students called the sight unsettling.
—Leah Willingham, Fortune, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
McEwen revealed the project was inspired by unsettling personal experiences.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
The excuse of Manchester United’s summer interest unsettling Baleba is wearing thin.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsettling
Adjective
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According to The Marshall Project, federal officers fired on at least nine people in their vehicles over a four-month period, evidence of a disturbing pattern.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
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Zhang was quickly identified as a suspect based on her allegedly increasingly disturbing behavior, according to authorities.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Neighbors fear rising violence Residents said the shooting has left them uneasy.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026
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But by evening, an uneasy calm had settled across the city.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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China’s increasingly advanced military capabilities are alarming the West and reshaping the global balance of naval power, analysts said.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But advocates argued that merely checking a box to satisfy an audit does not necessarily mean improvements in animal welfare, as evidenced by several troubling incidents that occurred last year, which is why advocates want greater transparency into how the city is fulfilling its obligations.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2026
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That same enforcement vacuum enabled an even more troubling revelation weeks later.—
Bobby Block,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Yet the competitive reality hit hardest during a tense FIBA break.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
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Davis became the director of CPW in April 2023 and has overseen the state’s controversial and often-tense wolf reintroduction program.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Writing essays, in the same way, lubricates my writing of fiction and vice versa—by distracting me and taking my thoughts elsewhere.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
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The glare from the sun had been reflecting in the lenses and distracting Smith.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Experts immediately pointed out that Hassett had used a misleading method known as a cubic fit to make the mortality data appear less frightening.—
Rogé Karma,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
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When the sun went down, the Santa Anas began to blow, and the fire shifted into the familiar, frightening rhythm of inevitability.—
Jonathan Taplin,
Rolling Stone,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In Clayton’s and Josephson’s hands, though, the fawn response becomes something more pliable, less a sign of acute threat than a broadly anxious orientation to the world.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
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Six-year-old Lucas Kincaid of Molalla, Oregon stood with his family to take a final peek in the hulking main telescope beneath the dome in anxious anticipation, snug in his furry hooded jacket like a hibernating bear cub about to meet the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unsettling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsettling. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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