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
What unsettles us, though, is a pause.
—
Essence, 3 Mar. 2026
The film’s plot is thrust in motion when a series of perverse scam calls unsettles an idyllic retirement community, watching as a starry-eyed nurse (Cemre Paksoy) becomes entangled with her mysterious patient (Bruce McKenzie).
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 Mar. 2026
The entrance of Thea Elvsted (Celeste Arias), a school girl acquaintance, both unsettles and diverts Hedda.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
What unsettles me just as deeply is the anti-immigrant mood on the ground.
—Valeng Cha, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
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
Essence, 3 Mar. 2026
The film’s plot is thrust in motion when a series of perverse scam calls unsettles an idyllic retirement community, watching as a starry-eyed nurse (Cemre Paksoy) becomes entangled with her mysterious patient (Bruce McKenzie).
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 Mar. 2026
The entrance of Thea Elvsted (Celeste Arias), a school girl acquaintance, both unsettles and diverts Hedda.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
What unsettles me just as deeply is the anti-immigrant mood on the ground.
—Valeng Cha, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsettles
Verb
-
Dethatching disturbs the soil surface, which can trigger dormant weed seeds to sprout.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The work that disturbs the most is of a translucent man.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
What really bothers me is when companies pay a lot of money for mediocrity, and that happens all too often.—
Alex Crippen,
CNBC,
14 Mar. 2026
-
That notion clearly bothers Schoen and the organization.—
Dan Duggan,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Reading chairs can become hotspots for clutter, which distracts from rest.—
Shagun Khare,
The Spruce,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Investigators said one of the men distracts the victim while another watches the victim input their PIN on the keypad.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Dennis Henigan, vice president for legal and regulatory affairs at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said his advocacy group worries the FDA is succumbing to pressure from the tobacco and vaping industry with its new guidance.—
Sarah Todd,
STAT,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Wastewater would travel from there through a creek that passes under a small bridge not far from the Hurlbuts’ home, and Roger Hurlbut worries about the risk of flooding during heavy rains.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Many of the marchers are of Mexican or Hispanic descent, so the treatment and mass deportation of undocumented immigrants greatly concerns them.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The case concerns the antitrust implications of selling live-music tickets for certain types of venues and does not directly involve the sale of tickets to live sports.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When something goes wrong, alarms fire.—
Robert B. Shpiner,
STAT,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Yet the price of gas seems likely to keep rising, which alarms Republicans.—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
LaCava said the change seems like another city policy that angers many residents without major impact.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
-
What angers me is thinking about what could have been.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The machine dryer agitates the clothing and prevents fibers from stiffening during drying, which is why clothing comes out feeling soft.—
Emily Benda Gaylord,
The Spruce,
23 Feb. 2026
-
This agitates me and my lead foot.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unsettles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsettles. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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