as in disturbingly
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unsettlingly
On the season premiere of It Happened in Hollywood, director Lynne Littman and star Jane Alexander, nominated for an Oscar for her performance, revisit the film’s enduring impact, offering a deeply personal look at a project that still feels unsettlingly urgent.
—
Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 17 Mar. 2026
Disappearances are still unsettlingly high.
—Angélica Durán-Martínez, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2026
Otherwise, the streets are unsettlingly quiet.
—Vivian Song, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
In these 2-foot-square pictures, long-haired nude female figures in close Edenic companionship with wild beasts poke their heads out from behind lush tropical foliage, and stare, unsettlingly, straight outward.
—Benjamin Lima, Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026
There is a curious absence of any patience in exploring the forces shaping their unsettlingly growing worldview.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2026
The book blends reportage, moral inquiry, and political analysis in a way that still feels unsettlingly contemporary fifty-four years after it was published.
—Literary Hub, 19 Dec. 2025
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s unsettlingly close—and undeniably bold—bond throughout the Wicked press tour has become its own cultural phenomenon, complete with headlines, memes, and dating rumors.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 11 Dec. 2025
When her daughter had an unsettlingly similar experience at her own school years later, Wilson finally decided to act on the longtime dream of starting her own school.
—Nashville Tennessean, 3 Dec. 2025
Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 17 Mar. 2026
Disappearances are still unsettlingly high.
—Angélica Durán-Martínez, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2026
Otherwise, the streets are unsettlingly quiet.
—Vivian Song, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
In these 2-foot-square pictures, long-haired nude female figures in close Edenic companionship with wild beasts poke their heads out from behind lush tropical foliage, and stare, unsettlingly, straight outward.
—Benjamin Lima, Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026
There is a curious absence of any patience in exploring the forces shaping their unsettlingly growing worldview.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2026
The book blends reportage, moral inquiry, and political analysis in a way that still feels unsettlingly contemporary fifty-four years after it was published.
—Literary Hub, 19 Dec. 2025
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s unsettlingly close—and undeniably bold—bond throughout the Wicked press tour has become its own cultural phenomenon, complete with headlines, memes, and dating rumors.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 11 Dec. 2025
When her daughter had an unsettlingly similar experience at her own school years later, Wilson finally decided to act on the longtime dream of starting her own school.
—Nashville Tennessean, 3 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsettlingly
Adverb
-
Trump has been disturbingly clear that this isn’t about creating better elections.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Lonely young men on the internet, gun culture, school shootings and a need to be seen are themes colliding in Oscar Boyson‘s disturbingly twisted feature film debut Our Hero, which might just be a little too real to be a comfortable watch for many.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
The costumes, by Kaye Voyce, are almost alarmingly on target, from Becky’s try-hard dress to Andrew’s fuzzy orange cardigan.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Child poverty in America persists at levels alarmingly higher than in other advanced democracies.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
13 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
In many ways, Donovan’s story is distressingly familiar.—
Megan Molteni,
STAT,
7 Apr. 2026
-
In essence, Bright Lights, Big City, instead of being emotionally provoking and riveting, is distressingly gray and tedious, enlivened only by Fox’s gifted histrionics.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The next morning, Park awakes hung over before disgustingly scoffing down a handful of salmon off a caterer's serving tray.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Free speech has become a major liability in a disgustingly litigious society.—
Jesse Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Aaron, with divine intervention, turns the dust of the land into gnats that irritatingly cover humans and animals throughout Egypt.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
31 Mar. 2026
-
No Diego Luna for Best Actor, no Stellan Skarsgård for Best Supporting Actor, no Elizabeth Dulau for Best Supporting Actress, and, most irritatingly of all, no Genevieve O’Reilly for Best Actress.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
Adverb
-
Except for grackles, pigeons, house sparrows and other annoyingly social types that adore the company of humans, most birds will be found in green spaces far from the SXSW noise and crowds in or near downtown.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Mar. 2026
-
But for me, the whole process—taking everything off the bed, washing all the pieces, and finding a place to store it all—is annoyingly tedious.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
20 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Charging over $100 for a short train ride sounds awfully high to me.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The result is that these Iranian characters, when talking among themselves in their native tongue, sound awfully like Americans having a conversation in the mall or at a nearby table at a restaurant.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Hopefully just not as traumatically — although Holly’s already had a slightly traumatic childhood.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Unsettlingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsettlingly. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
