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
Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 10 July 2025
Others saw it as a humorous, if unsettling, glimpse into how AI is increasingly embedded in corporate communications.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
The trailer is equal parts unsettling, outlandish and zany.
—Nikki Sternberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 June 2025
The pit and toy poodle mix, adopted from a rescue ranch called The Barking Lot outside San Diego, found the sudden arrival of towering boxes and disappearing furniture deeply unsettling.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Adjective
The unsettling noise was followed by a tense hour in the cabin, with many passengers crying, praying or showing signs of distress.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 10 July 2025
Others saw it as a humorous, if unsettling, glimpse into how AI is increasingly embedded in corporate communications.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
The trailer is equal parts unsettling, outlandish and zany.
—Nikki Sternberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 June 2025
The pit and toy poodle mix, adopted from a rescue ranch called The Barking Lot outside San Diego, found the sudden arrival of towering boxes and disappearing furniture deeply unsettling.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsettling
Adjective
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Scientists have found a new way to cheat the system – which is both ingenious and disturbing.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
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Pisciotta alleged that West’s disturbing behavior did not end after she was terminated at Yeezy.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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Outlook: Stability or Strain? Oil markets in 2024 were defined by an uneasy equilibrium.—
Robert Rapier,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
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Given that uneasy reminder, the small victory ultimately won by King and his followers is even more extraordinary and potent.—
Sophie van Bastelaer,
EW.com,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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Mixed Reactions While some universities criticize the procedure and announce retractions, others have attempted to justify the practice, revealing a troubling lack of consensus on AI ethics in academia.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
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The lack of transparency is troubling for computer scientist Talia Ringer, a professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who earlier in the week criticized the company’s handling of the technology’s antisemitic outbursts.—
Matt O’Brien,
Los Angeles Times,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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The coach withdrew him just after the hour mark against PSG and the cameras caught the forward looking tense and concerned on the bench.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
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The unsettling noise was followed by a tense hour in the cabin, with many passengers crying, praying or showing signs of distress.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Occupying and distracting the mind.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
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While most of the acting is wonderful (Wyle is predictably great, but so is just about all of the main cast), some patient-of-the-week players err towards distracting histrionics.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Through it all, the Jurassic Park franchise continued to break new ground, surprising and captivating audiences with fresh, new and unexpected developments in each installment, made all the more vivid, realistic and frightening with the latest in CGI and believable acting.—
Jan Wagner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 July 2025
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Perhaps most frightening of all is the fact that, in rural areas, such calamity occurs before any official help can arrive.—
Jessica Pishko,
New Yorker,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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My expectation is that the veteran who has been in the Octagon against some of the heaviest hitters in the UFC’s heavyweight division is going to be anxious to test the young man who only has 35 seconds of UFC fight time to his name.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
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The choice of name was coincidental but Lee and Kirby were anxious to avoid any connection to radical politics.—
Ekow Eshun
July 11,
Literary Hub,
11 July 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 22 Jul. 2025.
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