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
Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2025
As usual with the director’s work, a full-bodied, mood-shifting score by his younger brother Jed Kurzel is a major contribution, particularly unsettling in its use of dissonance in the Thai scenes.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2025
Goggins admits to finding that forced intimacy slightly unsettling.
—Charlie Campbell / Koh Samui, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025
The whole thing wasn’t so much petrifying as insidiously unsettling, and all of that started with the figure of Nosferatu himself.
—Jim Shepard, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Adjective
The result is a season that’s ludicrous in plot yet freshly unsettling in its portrayal of how people can become resigned to their fate.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2025
As usual with the director’s work, a full-bodied, mood-shifting score by his younger brother Jed Kurzel is a major contribution, particularly unsettling in its use of dissonance in the Thai scenes.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2025
Goggins admits to finding that forced intimacy slightly unsettling.
—Charlie Campbell / Koh Samui, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025
The whole thing wasn’t so much petrifying as insidiously unsettling, and all of that started with the figure of Nosferatu himself.
—Jim Shepard, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsettling
Adjective
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Warning: The following story elements, including photos and video, may be disturbing to some readers.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA TODAY,
21 Feb. 2025
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The feature take is set amidst the 4th of July celebration, as a disturbing figure named Tommy Taffy emerges.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The resolution is seeking $4.5 trillion in tax breaks and $2 trillion in spending cuts over the next 10 years, measures that have met opposition from Democrats and made some Republicans uneasy.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
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In my conversations with barbecue people, there was often uneasy tension about whether craft barbecue is something new or a return to an old way of doing things.—
Rachel Monroe,
The New Yorker,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Trump’s turn toward promoting IVF raises troubling ethical questions for the ongoing defense of innocent life.—
John Gerardi,
National Review,
2 Mar. 2025
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Recent data has highlighted a troubling trend: Early-onset cancers — those diagnosed in people under 50 — are on the rise.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacramento Bee,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Video shows President Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vice President JD Vance in a tense meeting Friday before the U.S. and Ukraine were planning to sign a rare earth minerals deal.—
Sarah Lynch Baldwin,
CBS News,
28 Feb. 2025
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The removal occurred during a tense exchange between Trump and Zelensky.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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This is a clever way to offer a dual-screen experience without the flaws inherent to current dual-screen laptops, including distracting hinges and designs with questionable durability.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
7 Jan. 2025
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In a car, this could be used to hide distracting entertainment displays from the driver while passengers are able to see information such as music playlists or calendar alerts, for example.—
Barry Collins,
Forbes,
6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But former Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks has pitched just five innings since 2022 due to Tommy John surgery and, even more frightening, a battle with stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
21 Feb. 2025
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Bates is frightening in her stillness, which makes Annie’s sudden bursts of violence all the more horrifying.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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While many companies rapidly integrate AI, this data reveals a growing disconnect: employees are increasingly anxious about its impact.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
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But raising cash remains a challenge for some, with investors anxious about startups courting enough customers for healthy returns, Pershad said.—
Liang Lei,
CNBC,
26 Feb. 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 6 Mar. 2025.
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