as in disturbing
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
the unnerving news of yet another murder
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in paralyzing
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in discouraging
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of unnerving
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
And of course, the history of the unnerving shoe extends way beyond the advent of social media.
—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
Homer at his most explicit can be unnerving.
—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
There are several jump scares as the atmosphere becomes increasingly unnerving.
—
The Week Uk,
TheWeek,
18 June 2026
But Hawthorne conjures another unnerving transformation.
—
John Swansburg,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2026
Their scenes together are by far the most unnerving in the film.
—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
12 June 2026
The footage is chaotic, dreamlike, and profoundly unnerving as the young caregiver grows increasingly intimate with her elusive charge.
—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
11 June 2026
Witnesses who observed those executions later shared unnerving, and, at times, horrific, accounts of inmates thrashing, moaning, or otherwise appearing to show signs of suffering after the nitrogen gas began to flow.
—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
22 June 2026
Two decades ago, Pratt’s unnerving talent for getting as much attention as possible secured him a spot on a TV show.
—
Louis Staples,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
Still, Hollywood, and its significance to moviemaking, has a singular, unnerving allure on her.
—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
The president immediately began speaking more about buying or seizing Greenland, further unnerving NATO allies.
—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
The most recent of these was just two years ago, when eastern and central swathes of the United States experienced the path of totality, the phenomenon that casts daytime into eerie midnight blackness for unnerving lengths of time.
—
Mark Ellwood,
Robb Report,
14 Apr. 2026
Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil is transported, is sparking concerns about tightening energy supplies -- unnerving the world economy.
—
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported, is sparking concerns about tightening energy supplies — unnerving the world economy.
—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Iran’s attacks on Gulf nations and its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported, have given rise to increasing concerns of a global energy crisis and are unnerving the world economy.
—
Dallas Morning News,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Set that against Microsoft's research mapping AI applicability across occupations, which scores knowledge and information work highest and physical labor lowest, and an unnerving pattern surfaces.
—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
And of course, the history of the unnerving shoe extends way beyond the advent of social media.
—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
Homer at his most explicit can be unnerving.
—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
There are several jump scares as the atmosphere becomes increasingly unnerving.
—
The Week Uk,
TheWeek,
18 June 2026
But Hawthorne conjures another unnerving transformation.
—
John Swansburg,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2026
Their scenes together are by far the most unnerving in the film.
—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
12 June 2026
The footage is chaotic, dreamlike, and profoundly unnerving as the young caregiver grows increasingly intimate with her elusive charge.
—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
11 June 2026
Witnesses who observed those executions later shared unnerving, and, at times, horrific, accounts of inmates thrashing, moaning, or otherwise appearing to show signs of suffering after the nitrogen gas began to flow.
—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Verb
Alan Greenspan, who led the Federal Reserve under four presidents, steering the economy through unprecedented growth but also unnerving crisis, has died.
—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
22 June 2026
Two decades ago, Pratt’s unnerving talent for getting as much attention as possible secured him a spot on a TV show.
—
Louis Staples,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
Still, Hollywood, and its significance to moviemaking, has a singular, unnerving allure on her.
—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
The president immediately began speaking more about buying or seizing Greenland, further unnerving NATO allies.
—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
The most recent of these was just two years ago, when eastern and central swathes of the United States experienced the path of totality, the phenomenon that casts daytime into eerie midnight blackness for unnerving lengths of time.
—
Mark Ellwood,
Robb Report,
14 Apr. 2026
Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil is transported, is sparking concerns about tightening energy supplies -- unnerving the world economy.
—
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported, is sparking concerns about tightening energy supplies — unnerving the world economy.
—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Iran’s attacks on Gulf nations and its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported, have given rise to increasing concerns of a global energy crisis and are unnerving the world economy.
—
Dallas Morning News,
17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnerving
Adjective
-
There were many disturbing parts of Kerstin’s story left unpursued.
-
The film is a modern take on the creature horror film told from the perspective of a young boy who slowly begins to discover that his beloved parents are hiding a disturbing secret about his mother’s true nature.
Verb
-
With endless criteria, knowing exactly what to ask for from a pair of jean shorts is paralyzing.
-
His grief was crushing, paralyzing, calamitous.
Verb
-
Today, there are European governments discouraging AC use, power grids ill-equipped to absorb new cooling demand, and a growing tension between climate goals and adaptation needs.
-
Some sites are ‘lost forever’ The list of sites in the heart of Miami that have been found, only to be lost again, is at the same time discouraging and startling.
Adjective
-
The company and the government have since seemed to settle into an uneasy truce.
-
But some retirees remain uneasy about security concerns, healthcare quality, and property ownership structures.
Verb
-
Powell tried to open the stall door, and then began fondling himself, frightening the 11-year-old, who tried to leave, but Powell blocked him from getting out.
-
This war has been a disaster for them, frightening away foreign investors, tourists and talent and burdening them with a future of huge new defense bills to deter Iran after the United States is gone.
Verb
-
But Algo’s hyper-logical, computerised process of consistently picking the favourites to win was undone in the second match of the day, with Ghana frustrating England in a 0-0 draw.
-
The documentary’s contradiction is right there, enthralling us with the wild achievements Potter pulled off and frustrating us with his bombast, leading us to ponder whether, as The Dark Wizard suggests, either could exist without the other.
Adjective
-
The New York Times reported that multiple women who once dated Platner described the Maine oysterman’s behavior as intimidating and unsettling.
-
This move, by a native of the attention economy, signals a growing trend of users actively disengaging, unsettling consumer investors.
Verb
-
Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon is breathtaking and also terrifying with a 4-year-old along.
-
Facing the endless Cylon onslaught in the void of space is terrifying even in 2D battles, but many of Scattered Hopes' gut punches happen during unexpected narrative events or tough choices that doom entire ship populations.
Cite this Entry
“Unnerving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnerving. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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