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
Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026
In that episode, two students, Willie and Drake, attempt to get rid of their school’s unsettling mascot, Big Yellow, and replace it with a wolf.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 23 Feb. 2026
At the same time, a vibrant woman enters his father’s life, unsettling the fragile balance between father and son.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Adjective
However, upon arriving at the Crawford home, Lowen uncovers a secret manuscript that reveals unsettling details about the family’s past, leading her to question whether Verity’s writings are fiction or a chilling confession from a deranged mind.
—Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026
In that episode, two students, Willie and Drake, attempt to get rid of their school’s unsettling mascot, Big Yellow, and replace it with a wolf.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
This is when cycles of freezing and thawing cause the moisture in soil to expand and contract, unsettling plants' roots and potentially causing real damage.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 23 Feb. 2026
At the same time, a vibrant woman enters his father’s life, unsettling the fragile balance between father and son.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsettling
Adjective
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Angels fans who had regained some faith in Yusei Kikuchi after last weekend’s encouraging start could only watch with frustration as all of that was wiped away in one disturbing inning.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
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Most disturbing about the Game 3 blowout was not the who, but the how.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Even after filling several roster holes in the NFL Draft, the Dolphins exited the weekend with a glaring need at safety and an uneasy situation on the edge, at wide receiver and at tight end.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
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Forced into an uneasy alliance with a sharp-witted poacher living on the margins of society (Kellyman), the two women fight back, turning their powerlessness into strength through violence, wit, and defiance.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The alerts were triggered by the severe thunderstorm moving through the area, alarming some residents who were unaware the city’s siren system now also goes off when a severe weather warning is issued by the National Weather Service.—
Gloria Casas,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
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Midway through my massage, the boat unmoored itself and set sail—setting off an initially alarming vibrating bed and whirring engine noise.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But though this troubling backstory speaks to the writer’s underlying issues, there’s still the more immediate problem of Fiona’s disappearance.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
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This is the troubling part about the WHCA Dinner shooting.—
,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Harbaugh seemed tense during his Friday press conference sitting next to GM Joe Schoen as the second round of the draft rolled on compared to a much more positive Thursday interview after the first round.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
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Bodycam audio shows tense standoff in moving SUV For two-and-a-half tense minutes, the officer remained an unwilling passenger in the fleeing suspect's SUV, repeatedly commanding him to stop the car.—
Brian Day,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The curators supply a historical backdrop, therefore, but discreetly, and without distracting us from Wright’s poetic originality.—
Julian Bell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
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The Living Room also extends outdoors to the rooftop Terrazzo Bar with views that are almost too distracting.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Her Dispatch from the scene captured the moments of frightening confusion as high-ranking members of the government were whisked away from the Washington Hilton, where the event was held.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
27 Apr. 2026
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The ultimate scene packs a punch here — without spoiling things, Abigail Onwunali is particularly powerful in a role that Wilson saves till the eleventh hour, and Boone goes to places at once frightening and devastating.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The play is about Sarah, an anxious young woman living a double life.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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That’s the blunt reality facing Senate Majority Leader John Thune as Republicans grow increasingly anxious about the end-game for one of the most consequential — and politically combustible — confirmation fights in recent memory.—
Phil Mattingly,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unsettling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsettling. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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