as in disturbingly
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Recent Examples of unsettlingly
Patient arthouse viewers, however, will find much to chew on here as a subtly cerebral film about small bodies unsettlingly, hilariously navigating a big, violent world.
—
Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 25 May 2026
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
Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 25 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsettlingly
Adverb
-
The road to that disturbingly phallic Jules Rimet trophy inevitably goes through Spain, France, England, Belgium, Portugal, Croatia, Germany, and a bunch of others.—
Filip Bondy,
New York Daily News,
10 June 2026
-
Henry is a very tough movie, built on disturbingly casual violence and a characterization of the title character that is uniquely bleak even by horror standards.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026
Adverb
-
But the agency warned in its annual report Thursday that 118 million people who had to flee their homes or nations is still alarmingly high.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
-
Perhaps alarmingly, the city’s air defenses appeared to be less active during the final wave of Russian strikes on Tuesday morning, with CNN producers hearing ongoing explosions, but not the sound of counter-systems firing.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
Adverb
-
The basic themes of Hearst’s life and the novels that dramatize it remain distressingly relevant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
-
Epidemics such as these are distressingly common.—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
11 May 2026
Adverb
-
High-level players will basically always be in a drift—even during straightaways—to seize every opportunity to boost, just like people who were disgustingly good at Mario Kart DS back in the day.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
29 Apr. 2026
-
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
Adverb
-
Such politicians viewed literature as subversive, irritatingly highbrow, and—like socialism—suspiciously European.—
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
-
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
Adverb
-
Sandeep is nothing loath to make trouble for his annoyingly precocious little sister.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
-
Unfortunately and annoyingly, sometimes sayings like that are repeated so much for a reason.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
12 June 2026
Adverb
-
The announcer for his team sounds awfully familiar.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
Los Angeles – and particularly the community that surrounds Riviera, still in recovery mode from the devastating fires that ravaged Pacific Palisades in January, 2025 – also won, with this week-long reminder that this community is still awfully special, no matter what the haters say.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
8 June 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 18 Jun. 2026.
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