settle

verb

ˈse-tᵊl How to pronounce settle (audio)
Definition of settlenext
1
as in to lay
to cause to come to rest at the bottom (as of a liquid) the light rain will settle the dust in the air careful handling will settle the lees in the bottom of the wine bottle

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Relevance

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2
as in to inhabit
to supply with inhabitants the region was originally settled by farmers

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3
as in to decide
to give an opinion about (something at issue or in dispute) settled the lawsuit in favor of the defendant

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4
as in to arrange
to come to an agreement or decision concerning the details of settled their wedding plans without any major disagreements

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5
as in to perch
to come to rest after descending from the air birds settling on the branches of the maple tree

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6
as in to lodge
to establish or place comfortably or snugly settled the sleeping baby into her crib

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7
as in to compose
to free from distress or disturbance a hot meal settled the children down

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in to contain
to gain emotional or mental control of settled himself only with visible effort after the angry outburst

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9
as in to pay
to give what is owed for settle a debt

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10
as in to determine
to make final, definite, or beyond dispute this information should settle the question of who is right

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11
as in to shush
to stop the noise or speech of settled the class with a firm "quiet!"

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb settle differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of settle are decide, determine, resolve, and rule. While all these words mean "to come or cause to come to a conclusion," settle implies a decision reached by someone with power to end all dispute or uncertainty.

the dean's decision settled the campus alcohol policy

When might decide be a better fit than settle?

While in some cases nearly identical to settle, decide implies previous consideration of a matter causing doubt, wavering, debate, or controversy.

she decided to sell her house

When is it sensible to use determine instead of settle?

The words determine and settle can be used in similar contexts, but determine implies fixing the identity, character, scope, or direction of something.

determined the cause of the problem

When would resolve be a good substitute for settle?

In some situations, the words resolve and settle are roughly equivalent. However, resolve implies an expressed or clear decision or determination to do or refrain from doing something.

he resolved to quit smoking

In what contexts can rule take the place of settle?

Although the words rule and settle have much in common, rule implies a determination by judicial or administrative authority.

the judge ruled that the evidence was inadmissible

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 settle Last year, the Mets were unwilling to give the 30-year-old slugger a long-term contract, settling on a two-year, $54 million contract with a player opt-out clause for next season, according to Spotrac. —Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025 Otherwise, the federal government has suspended all data compilation and releases until the fiscal impasse in Washington is settled. —Jeff Cox, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025 Paramount then settled for $16 million shortly before the FCC approved the merger, with Skydance also promising to eliminate DEI programs and install an ombudsman to monitor CBS for bias. —David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025 Boise and Treasure Valley residents have a chance to enjoy a beautiful fall Friday before a cold front bringing rainy weather and gusty winds settles into Southwest Idaho starting Saturday morning. —Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 24 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for settle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for settle
  1. lay
  2. inhabit
  3. decide
  4. arrange
  5. perch
  6. lodge
  7. compose
  8. contain
Verb
  • Israel’s offensive in Gaza, launched in response to the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas’s attack on southern Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and laid waste to swaths of territory.
    — Reuters, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
  • By the end of March 2018 Aydın seemed unsure whether to try to clear his name or lay low, vacillating between the two strategies.
    — Moisés Naím, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
Definition of lay
Verb
  • The water surface holds dust particles and the wings/ shells of bugs that inhabit the building, a sign of the wear and tear in the very space that hosts the work.
    — Mario Rodriguez, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
  • So to inhabit a character like that, to be a part of a project like this just was very healing for me.
    — Sabienna Bowman, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Definition of inhabit
Verb
  • However, before Eleven Labs even had a concrete product, Reina, who was working at Palantir Technologies at the time, decided to take a chance on the firm after meeting Staniszewski.
    — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Congress decided to make daylight saving time permanent for two years from 1973 to 1975, extending the hours of daily sunlight year-round to conserve energy during the oil embargo crisis.
    — Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Oct. 2025
Definition of decide
Verb
  • There were also individual, isolated nests, which were typically larger than any that were arranged in a specific shape, according to the study.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
  • To make matters worse, none of the wedding flowers had been purchased or arranged.
    — Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Definition of arrange
Verb
  • Founded in 1982, The property features 18 rooms, seven cabins, a spa, dining porch and wine cellar on 250 acres perched on a nearly mile-high ridgeline with mist-shrouded, forever views of the rolling hills.
    — Suzanne Wright, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
  • The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, noticed the black-and-white cat perched on the bottom of a shopping cart outside Target on October 4.
    — Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Definition of perch
Verb
  • Fernandes Anderson pleaded guilty on May 5 to two of six charges — one count of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning a federal program — that had been lodged against her in a December 2024 federal indictment.
    — Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 22 Oct. 2025
  • The newspaper reported that the bullet allegedly fired by the suspect, Deborah Benefiel, had struck the 21-year-old former basketball player in his lung and then the heart before becoming lodged in his chest.
    — Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Definition of lodge
Verb
  • According to the Greek historian Herodotus, who composed his glorious amalgamation of legend and fact in the fourth-century BC, Helen never even reached Troy because Paris’s ship was blown off course.
    — Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
  • From the mood boards, Nguyen and Gottlieb create renderings for costumes composed of three looks for Roan to peel off, one one after the other, during a performance.
    — Katie Weisman, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025
Definition of compose
Verb
  • Comparable in size to the Arc de Triomphe, the Porte Monumentale also contained surface ornamentation based on Haeckel’s exacting lifelong documentation of organisms to be found in the world’s oceans.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Along with the remains, deputies found a backpack with clothes inside, a water bottle and a diary that didn’t contain any writing that helped in identifying the woman, according to a news release by the DNA Doe Project.
    — Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Definition of contain

Phrases Containing settle

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setting upon
settle
settled
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Cite this Entry

“Settle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/settle. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on settle

Nglish: Translation of settle for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about settle

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