1
as in paralyzes
to deprive of courage or confidence
the riding accident so unnerved me that for a while I was afraid to get back on a horse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in discourages
to lessen the courage or confidence of
a figure skater can't afford to be unnerved by an occasional slipup
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnerves
Verb
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For example, the curare plant poisons used by South and Central American hunters paralyzes the respiratory system.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
7 Jan. 2026 -
Turning his challenge into a mission and helping others overcome what paralyzes them.—
Isabella Kunde,
CBS News,
2 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Additionally, the International Atomic Energy Agency, an initiative of President Eisenhower, facilitates peaceful nuclear energy and discourages military pressures to get the weapon.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
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Instead, the funds are being used to produce a narrative that diverts attention from a major public health issue and discourages the press from covering it.—
Eleanor M. Perfetto,
STAT,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Like the 1987 Kurt Vonnegut novel from which the restaurant took its name, Bluebeard encourages guests to drop their guard, surround themselves with other people and try something that frightens them a little.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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Her hysteria frightens me and demands to be taken care of.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Usually the offseason frustrates me.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Made almost entirely from screen recordings and captures, Their Eyes frustrates the viewer’s desire to see beyond the digital interface.—
Farren Fei Yuan,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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What terrifies Iran’s theocrats the most, the fear that eclipses all their fears, is the ability of the people at large to clearly see the essential realities of the present regime.—
Azadeh Moaveni,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
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And this absolutely terrifies me.—
Inga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When Nora starts to leave the room, Cantrell scares her, showing that Nora had the cream all over her face.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
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The only person on this earth who scares me is God.—
Colin Millar,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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If French wine intimidates you, this is the perfect place to get over that fear.—
Noel Burgess,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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Independent groups like Human Rights Watch say the Venezuelan government intimidates human rights advocates, arrests and detains protesters and harasses journalists.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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What unsettles me just as deeply is the anti-immigrant mood on the ground.—
Valeng Cha,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
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Still, the advent of the star unsettles these familiar pathways.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Unnerves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnerves. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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