UNNERVES Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

unnerves

verb

present tense third-person singular of unnerve

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in discourages

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

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 unnerves The surveillance capability that unnerves some critics can be vital to a police investigation, according to Gray, of the University of New Haven. — Max Zahn, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026 There are no scares, nothing unnerves, there’s no intrigue in sight. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026 But spending her nights on the casino floor was only Charbonneau’s first step toward embodying Cay, a free-spirited sculptor by day who unnerves Vivan from their first, cinematic encounter. — Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 16 June 2026 The idea unnerves critics but thrills its architects. — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 6 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnerves

Verb

Kosowski, prosecutors theorized, killed Cozzi with succinylcholine, a fast-acting drug that paralyzes muscles, and threw his body in a Collier County dumpster during a drive to Miami.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
The wasp gets its name from its reproductive cycle, where a female paralyzes a tarantula to serve as a live host for her larva.

— Sean Donnelly, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of paralyzes

Verb

The policy discourages beginning an investigation, taking investigative steps, bringing criminal charges, or making public statements for the purpose of affecting an election or to give a candidate an advantage or disadvantage.

— Dan Mangan, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
This disparity discourages investment in maintenance, security and documentation.

— Kevin Korte, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of discourages

Verb

The prospect of Sean Steur or Lewis Hall — whose contract situation Wilson refused to be drawn on, despite being asked three times — leaving is not something which frightens the hierarchy.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Penelope, too, is asked to occupy a landscape that frightens her, not only as a neurodivergent child in a neurotypical culture, but as a child now situated in an adult world.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of frightens

Verb

Black Palace is set in 1888 London as an emerging tabloid media terrifies the public with lurid stories of infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper.

— Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2026
What terrifies you about this moment and inspires you about this moment?

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of terrifies

Verb

In the most basic sense, a film in which supernatural scares arise courtesy of negative space ought to at least have thoughtful framing, but the endless series of startles arrive with the same weight and energy as the fake outs.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
Kennedy, who was an anti-vaccine activist before entering politics and has sent mixed messages to Americans about getting the measles vaccine, scares her.

— Ali Swenson, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of scares

Verb

Melanie Melanie came to this reunion prepared with both facts and a prosecutorial confrontation style that effectively intimidates all of her on-stage opponents.

— Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
In the five vignettes, James, as his character Eddie Horniman, intimidates various individuals while going through the clean-up, the sacrifice, the angle, the cut and the judgment — all steps of serving Stella Artois.

— Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of intimidates

Verb

Spry said the attacker could have targeted any neighborhood residents — a thought that still unsettles her, given how easily the situation could have escalated.

— Doha Madani, NBC news, 5 Aug. 2026
That is precisely the capability that unsettles underwriters, because an agent that can decide is an agent that can decide wrongly, and fast.

— Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026

Definition of unsettles

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“Unnerves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnerves. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of unnerves

verb

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