unsettle
verb
un·set·tle
ˌən-ˈse-tᵊl 
unsettled; unsettling; unsettles
1
: to loosen or move from a settled state or condition : make unstable : disorder
2
: to perturb or agitate mentally or emotionally : discompose
: to become unsettled
Synonyms
Examples of unsettle in a Sentence
Such a sudden change will unsettle her.
the news that the local grocery store had sold contaminated produce unsettled many shoppers
Recent Examples on the Web
May 11, 2023 issue Dan Chiasson Larger Than Life
Nearly sixty years after its founding, Bread and Puppet Theater still has the power to unsettle, despite evoking old battles, old adversaries, and perhaps even lost causes.
—
Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 2 May 2024
The more Owen goes down the rabbit hole (which, given the movie’s look, is most likely guarded by this rabbit), the more surreal and unsettling everything gets.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 May 2024
The intense emotions on both sides have created a climate that has unsettled both Jewish and Muslim students.
—Jocelyn Gecker and Steve Leblanc, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Apr. 2024
Ruling on transgender student participation in sports remains unsettled
The Biden administration did not rule on whether transgender and nonbinary students can participate on the sports teams that align with their gender.
—Kayla Jimenez, USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024
The Gael senior deked one more time to unsettle BYU’s already shaky defense, and then finally popped a quick pass to Mario’s older brother Erich on his left, who motored into the try zone for another Saint Mary’s five-pointer.
—Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 20 Apr. 2024
Bracken successfully straddles the prickly tonal line between unsettling seriousness and flippant sarcasm as the resolute Darcy harnesses her connection to the dead to elucidate the truth about what happened to her beloved Dani.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 16 Apr. 2024
President Biden has made note of how unsettling this may feel to many people.
—Francesca Paris, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
Art tries to conceal his longing with a false confidence while Patrick revels in his ability to unsettle his former friend.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 12 Apr. 2024
Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 2 May 2024
The more Owen goes down the rabbit hole (which, given the movie’s look, is most likely guarded by this rabbit), the more surreal and unsettling everything gets.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 May 2024
The intense emotions on both sides have created a climate that has unsettled both Jewish and Muslim students.
—Jocelyn Gecker and Steve Leblanc, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Apr. 2024
Ruling on transgender student participation in sports remains unsettled
The Biden administration did not rule on whether transgender and nonbinary students can participate on the sports teams that align with their gender.
—Kayla Jimenez, USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024
The Gael senior deked one more time to unsettle BYU’s already shaky defense, and then finally popped a quick pass to Mario’s older brother Erich on his left, who motored into the try zone for another Saint Mary’s five-pointer.
—Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 20 Apr. 2024
Bracken successfully straddles the prickly tonal line between unsettling seriousness and flippant sarcasm as the resolute Darcy harnesses her connection to the dead to elucidate the truth about what happened to her beloved Dani.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 16 Apr. 2024
President Biden has made note of how unsettling this may feel to many people.
—Francesca Paris, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
Art tries to conceal his longing with a false confidence while Patrick revels in his ability to unsettle his former friend.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 12 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unsettle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near unsettle
Cite this Entry
“Unsettle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsettle. Accessed 10 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unsettle
verb
un·set·tle
ˌən-ˈset-ᵊl
ˈən-
1
: to move or loosen from a settled state
2
: to make uneasy
change unsettles him
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share