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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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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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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Examples of unsettling in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2024
What’s unsettling about the case is that the patient — hospitalized on August 22 and later released — is the first among 15 people infected in the US who didn’t report having contact with animals.
—Keren Landman, Vox, 10 Sep. 2024
Longlegs’ Creepy Campaign Killed at the Box Office Instead of TV ads, the company’s marketing team came up with a series of cryptic billboards that teased Nicolas Cage’s deeply unsettling character.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Sep. 2024
Few things are more unsettling as a traveler than being stranded with a dead phone, unable to find your way back home or a way to reach out for help if needed.
—Carina Brackett, Variety, 3 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unsettling 
Adjective
An unexpected and unsettling number of these microbes circulating far above the surface are potentially disease-causing and some are resistant to multiple antibiotics, according to the analysis.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2024
What’s unsettling about the case is that the patient — hospitalized on August 22 and later released — is the first among 15 people infected in the US who didn’t report having contact with animals.
—Keren Landman, Vox, 10 Sep. 2024
Longlegs’ Creepy Campaign Killed at the Box Office Instead of TV ads, the company’s marketing team came up with a series of cryptic billboards that teased Nicolas Cage’s deeply unsettling character.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Sep. 2024
Few things are more unsettling as a traveler than being stranded with a dead phone, unable to find your way back home or a way to reach out for help if needed.
—Carina Brackett, Variety, 3 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unsettling
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unsettling.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Unsettling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsettling. Accessed 20 Sep. 2024.
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