1
as in to paralyze
to deprive of courage or confidence
the riding accident so unnerved me that for a while I was afraid to get back on a horse
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to discourage
to lessen the courage or confidence of
a figure skater can't afford to be unnerved by an occasional slipup
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unnerve
That’s why Meta’s big investment in Scale seems to have unnerved all the frontier AI companies.
—
Billy Perrigo, Time, 16 June 2025
The girl was later found safe and unharmed 80 minutes later, but the experience continues to unnerve her mother.
—David Chiu, People.com, 21 May 2025
While the impact of a costlier iPhone likely wouldn't mean much from a larger economic perspective, the saber-rattling underscores the volatility of trade policy and provides another flash point for a market already unnerved by worries about fiscal policy that have sent bond yields sharply higher.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 23 May 2025
But the fixation on health has unnerved some medical experts, nutritionists and educators, who have noticed concerning degrees of health anxiety among some teenagers.
—Natalie Proulx, New York Times, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unnerve
Billy Perrigo, Time, 16 June 2025
The girl was later found safe and unharmed 80 minutes later, but the experience continues to unnerve her mother.
—David Chiu, People.com, 21 May 2025
While the impact of a costlier iPhone likely wouldn't mean much from a larger economic perspective, the saber-rattling underscores the volatility of trade policy and provides another flash point for a market already unnerved by worries about fiscal policy that have sent bond yields sharply higher.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 23 May 2025
But the fixation on health has unnerved some medical experts, nutritionists and educators, who have noticed concerning degrees of health anxiety among some teenagers.
—Natalie Proulx, New York Times, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unnerve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnerve
Verb
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The widespread arrests have paralyzed parts of the city where high numbers of immigrants work, such as the Flower District downtown.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 July 2025
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The toe-biter’s venom first paralyzes its prey and then dissolves its insides.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 July 2025
Verb
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President Snow, facing growing unrest across the nation as a result of the pair’s joint victory, demands that Katniss and Peeta pretend to be in love during their Victory Tour to discourage any rebellions.—
Kelly Martinez Published,
EW.com,
5 July 2025
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Bailey made headlines leading up to the draft by reportedly discouraging Philadelphia from selecting him, and even attempted to do the same with Utah.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 July 2025
Verb
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But their return has also angered and frightened livestock farmers and others in rural communities who are having to learn to live alongside these once nearly-extinct creatures.—
Ruth Sherlock,
NPR,
9 July 2025
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But on Friday night, the booms and blasts of celebratory fireworks appear to have frightened them away.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 July 2025
Verb
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Williams often got frustrated with him and told him to be quiet.—
Michael Cuglietta,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 July 2025
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Others are frustrated by the sheer volume of low-effort AI content flooding their feeds.—
Zach Vallese,
CNBC,
2 July 2025
Verb
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Paired with the gray-ish green color palette, sparse decor, and dark atmospherics in the Institute itself, the bleak vibes may be enough to turn some viewers off for good, especially those horror purists who tune in hoping to be terrified rather than just bummed out.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 July 2025
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In a city where so many big plans have gone so badly for 30 years, San Diego residents shouldn’t just be wary when another bold proposal comes long — they should be terrified.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 July 2025
Verb
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But moving from being a casual fan into understanding the intricacies of tennis can be intimidating.—
Caoimhe O'Neill,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
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Although new gardeners often find coming up with a design intimidating, there are existing templates to work from.—
Special to The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
8 July 2025
Verb
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The combination of a floodlight and a camera is a great way to scare off intruders and get better quality footage at night.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
11 July 2025
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Simply pull the pin, and the device will emit a blaring siren sound in combination with a strobe light that will draw attention to your situation and scare away would-be threats.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unnerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnerve. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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