ˌən-ˈset-liŋ
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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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of unsettling
Amelia Soth, JSTOR Daily, 2 Dec. 2024
While the show’s portrayal of the period is tense and horrifying in its own right, the layering of some truly unsettling supernatural threats make this a frequently terrifying watch.
—Matt Kamen, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2024
So while Iran will never, ever submit his deeply unsettling latest masterwork for the Best International Feature Oscar — often the only harbinger of anti-establishment Middle Eastern films making their way to the U.S. — this searing domestic thriller deserves the widest audience possible.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 27 Nov. 2024
This unsettling scenario highlights the significant risks tied to the rapid adoption of generative AI in business operations.
—Nizan Geslevich Packin, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unsettling 
Adjective
With its long lines and oil-slick iridescence, the Akhal-Teke looks fae and almost unsettling.
—Amelia Soth, JSTOR Daily, 2 Dec. 2024
While the show’s portrayal of the period is tense and horrifying in its own right, the layering of some truly unsettling supernatural threats make this a frequently terrifying watch.
—Matt Kamen, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2024
So while Iran will never, ever submit his deeply unsettling latest masterwork for the Best International Feature Oscar — often the only harbinger of anti-establishment Middle Eastern films making their way to the U.S. — this searing domestic thriller deserves the widest audience possible.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 27 Nov. 2024
This unsettling scenario highlights the significant risks tied to the rapid adoption of generative AI in business operations.
—Nizan Geslevich Packin, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unsettling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsettling
Adjective
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One of the more disturbing results was from the dinner party at the Brooklyn apartment of my ProPublica colleague.Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 9 Dec. 2024
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Duchamp spent the last twenty years of his life working in secret on a three-dimensional tableau vivant of a naked, headless female body in a realistic landscape, a strangely disturbing image that is both a summary of his meta-retinal art and a total departure from it.Calvin Tomkins, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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There’s no shortage of movies that have looked at Dylan’s music and his uneasy relationship to fame.David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Dec. 2024
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For history buffs, a deep dive into a pivotal period of Japanese history and the uneasy relationship between East and West.Judy Berman, TIME, 3 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Even as such shooting deaths have fallen over the years, there are troubling trends: Children ages 1 to 4 are more likely to be victims, the data shows, and those toddlers are more often Black children.John Diedrich, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
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The study's findings paint a troubling picture of the current state of provider directories.Tammy Hawes, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Better Workplaces: How to Foster Inclusion and Civility | A Newsweek Horizons Event Promo By Lauren Giella National Reporter 1 In the weeks after the 2024 presidential election, companies across the U.S. are dealing with an uptick in tense political discourse in the workplace.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
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Translating through an interpreter that everyone can see adds a human touch to the conversation, which is helpful in tense situations, such as when speaking with an anxious client or patient.Molly Peck, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Although there are guns to acquire, most of the action is paced more methodically, with players sneaking around to avoid enemies or distracting them with bottles and thrown objects.Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 10 Dec. 2024
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The distracting health care blame game At the dawn of the modern American health care system, the private industries that compose much of the medical sector were allies.Dylan Scott, Vox, 6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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That Daniel Penny acted to defend others from a frightening figure on the train was of no legal relevance, from the prosecution’s point of view, given that Neely did not have a weapon or threaten a specific passenger directly.Adam Iscoe, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
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However, Humbert decided to go it alone and ended up being the victim of quite a frightening shark attack.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Farmers are anxious about the loss of farmland, and the Manx National Farmers’ Union has opposed plans elsewhere to convert agricultural land to rainforest.Christine Ro, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
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This promise has left people in the area anxious about the deep impact new workplace raids could have on the community's psyche and the economy.Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR, 9 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Is there a health problem that's worrying you?Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
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Is there a nutrition concern that's worrying you?Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near unsettling
Cite this Entry
“Unsettling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsettling. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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