UNSETTLES Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

unsettles

verb

present tense third-person singular of unsettle

as in disturbs

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy the news that the local grocery store had sold contaminated produce unsettled many shoppers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 unsettles 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 But Hyd unsettles this arrangement with their deadpan affect, playing the part of a mourning truth-seeker trying to live in the moment. — H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 2 June 2026 Her healing skills soon prove invaluable, but her wild, curious nature unsettles the monks as an evil count threatens to destroy anyone who dares protect her. — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 19 May 2026 His decision to pull out of the house sales upends an entire property chain, as his manipulative nature unsettles those around him. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 May 2026 After a chance encounter with a group of influencers in their twenties who are passing through town, Ernie invites them into his home – a decision that unsettles the fragile world he’s spent years trying to exist within. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2026 An unexpected visitor at the ER later unsettles both patients and staff. — Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026 That’s because Texas terrorizes people from start to finish with its tenacious, arm-waving, in-your-face defense that completely unsettles opponents and takes them out of their offense. — Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsettles

Verb

Traffic between somebody else's router and somebody else's laptop, say in a random coffee shop or an airport, can provide the radio field that your body disturbs to create your specific signature.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
Tilling or plowing in the summer disturbs the soil's delicate ecosystem and exposes moist soil to rapid water loss.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 24 June 2026

Definition of disturbs

Verb

That sequencing bothers people who’ve spent careers being told that data systems need privacy protections designed in, not bolted on after a scandal.

— Karl W. Bickel, Baltimore Sun, 25 Aug. 2026
Kurt's key takeaways What bothers me most about this scam is that criminals are going after people who may have the fewest options to protect themselves.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of bothers

Verb

There’s the studio version, which has some really interesting production, with Meg’s shuddering percussion that eventually grates and distracts, and Jack’s very chunky guitar.

— Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026
Outer Banks’ success has always rested on an emotional depth that distracts from nonsense plot points and over-the-top escapades.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of distracts

Verb

Instead, the market worries whether such high growth has already been fully priced into stock values or is approaching a growth inflection point.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
The beekeeper worries the new warehouse-like facilities will raise his utility bills or change the local environment.

— Drew Hawkins, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of worries

Verb

The issue, also affecting manufacturers like Xiaomi and Xpeng, concerns unsafe emergency door-release systems.

— Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
However, as someone who has been studying Antarctic krill ecology and their role in the Southern Ocean ecosystem for 16 years, what currently concerns me most is how locally concentrated that harvest has become.

— Kim S. Bernard, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of concerns

Verb

That prospect alarms those in Europe, who fear FIFA could increasingly challenge their competitions for space on an already overcrowded calendar.

— Clemente Lisi, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
He becomes increasingly consumed by the otherworldly dimension, which alarms his therapist, Mary (Renate Reinsve).

— Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 30 May 2026

Definition of alarms

Verb

The receptionist angers Kripke and Bert so much that they are picked up by the police — along with Stuart, who had also been arrested.

— Michael Schneider, Variety, 31 July 2026
According to the myth, Agamemnon angers the goddess Artemis by killing one of her sacred deer.

— Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 20 July 2026

Definition of angers

Browse Nearby Words

unsettlements

unsettles

unsettling

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Unsettles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsettles. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of unsettles

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

dissonant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes