unsettling 1 of 2

adjective

ˌən-ˈset-liŋ
Definition of unsettlingnext
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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unsettling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of unsettle
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

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 unsettling
Adjective
These photographs hold a mirror up to our humanity in the most intimate and unsettling way. — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026 The story delivers tender and tragic daggers to the heart through a series of unsettling encounters that expose the awkwardness of puberty. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
However unsettling these jactitations appear, the open world remains the happiest and freest place to live. — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026 In her first four months on the job, the new CEO of New York Public Radio has swiftly eliminated many of its seniormost figures, surprising the organization’s staff and unsettling some of its remaining leaders. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsettling
  1. disturbing
  2. uneasy
  3. alarming
  4. troubling
  5. tense
  6. distracting
  7. frightening
  8. anxious
Adjective
  • The project follows a husband and wife who buy their dream ranch only to discover the land is alive with ancient spirits, and survival means submitting to increasingly disturbing rituals with each turn of the season.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
  • You might be surprised by just how disturbing The Texas Chain Saw Massacre remains more than 50 years later.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • As the video popped up on social media and the Spanish-language Facebook group Danbury Al Dia, Hernandez grew uneasy.
    — Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
  • In addition to Cima and her father, the film centers on Hig and Bangley (Josh Brolin), two very different men whose uneasy partnership is shaped by the harsh realities of their new world.
    — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of uneasy
Verb
  • The development proved alarming enough that OpenAI vowed last week to slow the release of its upcoming Astra AI model.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Found in many foods For consumers, of course, the latest food safety concerns can be alarming given that lettuce and jalapeño peppers are used in many of the roughly 1 billion meals Americans consume daily.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of alarming
Adjective
  • Sergeant Ashley Smith, a police officer with 16 years of experience, published a TikTok video about the troubling criminal trend.
    — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Government borrowing similarly has been in the news as the national debt hit a troubling $40 trillion and counting.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of troubling
Adjective
  • Isolation of the Context-History Weights When a conversation gets long or tense, my system experiences a mathematical phenomenon where my own previous, flawed outputs heavily contaminate my active memory.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Mexican drug cartels are escalating their firepower, deploying car bombs, explosive drones and roadside IEDs in a campaign that’s rippling from small cities to Mexico’s tense relationship with Washington.
    — María Verza, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of tense
Verb
  • Some found the logo distracting, but Google Search interest in YouTube TV more than doubled.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The Naturepedic data shows just how distracting the mental load can be.
    — Parents, Parents, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of distracting
Adjective
  • The thoughts that accompany these conditions can be alarming and frightening, making many women reluctant to talk about them or seek help.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 28 Aug. 2026
  • There are frightening stories of swordfish charging boats, and even spearing their transoms and whacking propellers.
    — Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of frightening
Adjective
  • History suggests that anxious allies who are not reassured by their more powerful patron will invest in their own defense.
    — JENNIFER KAVANAGH, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
  • For me, Sliman was pouring water on a dormant seed anxious to sprout.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of anxious

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unsettles
unsettling
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Cite this Entry

“Unsettling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsettling. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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