1
as in uneasy
lacking or denying rest
the worried mother spent a restless night, tossing and turning in bed for hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in anxious
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
the figure skater was visibly restless as she waited for her scores to be posted
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of restless
There is no bitterness or cynicism in this progression, just a restless questing.
—
Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 2 July 2025
Louis had been in a restless mood, though melted hearts all the same, while Charlotte felt the need to introduce some etiquette as the pair sat one row in front of then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Better to wait the performance out, to hope the protesters would get restless and give up.
—Clare Sestanovich, New Yorker, 13 July 2025
Life was full and busy, but beneath the surface, Nancy was restless.
—Dateline Nbc, NBC news, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for restless
Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 2 July 2025
Louis had been in a restless mood, though melted hearts all the same, while Charlotte felt the need to introduce some etiquette as the pair sat one row in front of then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Better to wait the performance out, to hope the protesters would get restless and give up.
—Clare Sestanovich, New Yorker, 13 July 2025
Life was full and busy, but beneath the surface, Nancy was restless.
—Dateline Nbc, NBC news, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for restless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restless
Adjective
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She Rides Shotgun begins with one uneasy situation and ends on quite another, and the two hours in between are anything but comfortable.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
31 July 2025
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Step 3: Open the door and actually listen Senior leaders should become more visible, Burke says, especially to help coach managers who feel uneasy addressing tough topics.—
Alyshia Hull,
USA Today,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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With Iran and its proxies diminished and Gulf states anxious to diversify their economies, any prospect for broader peace and normalization runs through Riyadh.—
Edward Felsenthal,
Time,
23 July 2025
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This is their first major sit-down interview together, and both are a bit anxious.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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Russia has admitted that the fate of its sole aircraft carrier, the troubled Admiral Kuznetsov, is most likely either the scrapyard or an unlikely sale to another country.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
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The resort, which can accommodate nearly 20,000 people, is at the center of Kim’s push to boost tourism to improve his country’s troubled economy.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
28 July 2025
Adjective
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The board of the Regional Transportation Authority met Friday to discuss ways to respond to the cut, striking a note of optimism to counter the disturbing prediction for Tri-Rail’s future.—
Rafael Olmeda,
Sun Sentinel,
25 July 2025
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This is a disturbing statistic and speaks to an increase in the total number of people defacing themselves, but also a rise in the amount of ink per person.—
Scott Liftman,
Boston Herald,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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The wide receiver group remains unsettled, but Boutte is doing something right to earn the opportunities he’s been given so far.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
25 July 2025
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At the federal level, the regulatory environment for EWA companies remains unsettled.—
AJ Dhaliwal,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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In a city that has endured tensions over Old School Square, code enforcement incompetence, a tense police contract impasse, and a city employee’s claims of being strong-armed by a city commissioner (not substantiated by an outside review), this adds to Delray’s headaches.—
Steve Bousquet,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Aug. 2025
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Mulino’s support comes as the $22.8 billion transaction remains a proxy in the tense relationship between the U.S. and China, both of whom have had their differing opinions of the sale.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Iranian experts have long urged successive U.S. administrations to provide strike pay and other forms of aid to restive workers in the Islamic Republic, with a view to improving human rights and causing regime change from within.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2025
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Some of the richest Gulf Arab countries, such as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, will worry that the destabilizing effects of a heavy-handed regime change could stir their own sizable and restive Shia Muslim populations.—
Matt Bradley,
NBC news,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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All 11 brought home at least one full point in Rome, the result of their talent but also of a cohesive approach where veteran Justin Rose was willing to be paired with nervous rookie Robert MacIntyre in fourball and sit the foursomes sessions.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
23 July 2025
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Joe Mazur, senior analyst at Trivium China, a research and advisory firm, said the use of exit bans and the lack of clarity around specific cases will make foreign companies extremely nervous about sending staff to China, damaging overall business confidence.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Restless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restless. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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