1
as in paralyzes
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in discourages
to lessen the courage or confidence of
a figure skater can't afford to be unnerved by an occasional slipup
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnerves
Verb
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The role is particularly noteworthy considering Dane announced earlier this year that he was diagnosed with ALS, a neurodegenerative disease that gradually paralyzes the body by destroying the nerve cells that control muscle movement.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
20 Oct. 2025 -
This paralyzes executives and creates fatigue.—
Nick Ryan,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The movement's website explicitly discourages participants from bringing weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
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Luckily, lots of matcha cups also come with a whisk holder, which discourages bacteria formation—like this handmade set that will easily fit in with your robust collection of Italian splatterware.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Within my book, one of the things that frightens me most is the fact that with censorship, there’s often not a clear red line, right?—
Fiction Non Fiction
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
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What specifically frightens you?—
Tim Brinkhof,
Big Think,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That doesn’t always come in the form of on-court minutes, which frustrates segments of the fan base.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
14 Oct. 2025
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This inconsistency frustrates drivers and reduces their confidence in public charging networks, further slowing EV adoption.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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While early allergen introduction is not without complexities, the measurable reduction in peanut allergies—once the most common pediatric food allergy and one that terrifies allergy parents—signals a milestone in preventive care.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
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Jesus may haunt Wendell, but Wendell terrifies Lee.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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James Cook is a great running back and certainly helps open up the passing game, and while the Bills have a decent tight end room and some average pass catchers, there isn't one wide receiver on the roster who scares teams.—
Jon Conahan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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And yet, even though not having children is becoming more widely accepted and understood in our society, there’s something about a woman who has never been married that still confuses and scares people.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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With a name inspired by unity, strength and joy, Zayu transforms on the pitch as a striker, showcasing exceptional ingenuity and agility that intimidates defenders.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The result is slower, more volatile law-making — the kind of regulatory instability that unsettles investors.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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No humor benefits from being seen among other people so much as the kind that throws or unsettles you — a tension that is resolved, gloriously, when the audience collectively gives in and decides to roar with laughter.—
Robert Rubsam,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Unnerves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnerves. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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