as in disturbs
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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Recent Examples of unsettles
Still, the advent of the star unsettles these familiar pathways.
—
Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, Geon-young’s detainment has upset the Prosecutors’ Office, which in turn unsettles Chief Na (Oh Dae-suk), who is Cheon’s main rival within the presidential cabinet.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
As a series of perverse scam calls unsettles an idyllic retirement community, a starry-eyed nurse becomes entangled with her mysterious patient.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Dec. 2025
As political tensions rise across Maracoor, Rain’s mysterious arrival unsettles local authorities and raises questions about myth, magic, and threat.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
The result is slower, more volatile law-making — the kind of regulatory instability that unsettles investors.
—Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 3 Oct. 2025
No humor benefits from being seen among other people so much as the kind that throws or unsettles you — a tension that is resolved, gloriously, when the audience collectively gives in and decides to roar with laughter.
—Robert Rubsam, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Kirk assassination angers and unsettles leaders, residents The assassination of Kirk, which happened in front of hundreds of people and was captured on video and widely circulated on social media, has in particular rattled the nation and drawn condemnation from across the political spectrum.
—Mark Vancleave, Twin Cities, 13 Sep. 2025
Yet for all the focus now on the technology’s effects on jobs or geopolitics, what unsettles Altman most are the subtle, almost imperceptible cultural shifts that spread when millions of people interact with the same system every day.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025
Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, Geon-young’s detainment has upset the Prosecutors’ Office, which in turn unsettles Chief Na (Oh Dae-suk), who is Cheon’s main rival within the presidential cabinet.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
As a series of perverse scam calls unsettles an idyllic retirement community, a starry-eyed nurse becomes entangled with her mysterious patient.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Dec. 2025
As political tensions rise across Maracoor, Rain’s mysterious arrival unsettles local authorities and raises questions about myth, magic, and threat.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
The result is slower, more volatile law-making — the kind of regulatory instability that unsettles investors.
—Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 3 Oct. 2025
No humor benefits from being seen among other people so much as the kind that throws or unsettles you — a tension that is resolved, gloriously, when the audience collectively gives in and decides to roar with laughter.
—Robert Rubsam, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Kirk assassination angers and unsettles leaders, residents The assassination of Kirk, which happened in front of hundreds of people and was captured on video and widely circulated on social media, has in particular rattled the nation and drawn condemnation from across the political spectrum.
—Mark Vancleave, Twin Cities, 13 Sep. 2025
Yet for all the focus now on the technology’s effects on jobs or geopolitics, what unsettles Altman most are the subtle, almost imperceptible cultural shifts that spread when millions of people interact with the same system every day.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsettles
Verb
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Though the time change allows for more daylight in the spring and summer evenings, many have argued the change disturbs the body's circadian rhythms and has significant health drawbacks.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
For instance, the downward airflow from the drone propellers disturbs the dust, increasing contamination risks, and the team had to develop additional safety measures to mitigate them.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
People don’t think this bothers me.—
Safiyah Riddle,
Fortune,
26 Jan. 2026
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At one point, Bryan Freedman, an attorney for Baldoni and the Wayfarer Studios defendants, asked Lively if negative publicity bothers her.—
Benjamin VanHoose,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Paying too much attention to AI benchmarks distracts from the tech's real value — when it is integrated into existing gaming or entertainment ecosystems such as Tencent's, Ivan Su, senior equity analyst at Morningstar, said in a note.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Start by clearing what distracts you.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Reyes worries the winter storm gripping North Texas will have serious consequences for her finances.—
Elissa Jorgensen,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Isabel worries about a golf ball hitting her amid the customers’ wild swings.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Sure enough, the pounds start falling off, at a rate that concerns the increasingly interested Alanya.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
28 Jan. 2026
-
By making the characters’ concerns full-length musical numbers, High School Musical acknowledges just how all encompassing these problems can feel.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But what alarms him most is the silence from the business community.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
20 Oct. 2025
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While Cherry is more versed at keeping her rage simmering just below the surface, Laura struggles to hide her anguish and disgust, which alarms those closest to her.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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What angers me is thinking about what could have been.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
12 Dec. 2025
-
And nothing angers the Survivor gods more than reality TV hubris.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This agitates me and my lead foot.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
20 Jan. 2026
-
As the sun agitates the moon, both options appeal.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unsettles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsettles. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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