unsettle
verb (used with object)
to alter from a settled state; cause to be no longer firmly fixed or established; render unstable; disturb.
had been unsettling
-
past perfect progressiveof unsettle.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But from the start, Ms. Hill said, there had been unsettling problems: a toilet that barely flushed, cabinets that did not close, an elevator that repeatedly broke down.
From New York Times ● Jun. 7, 2023
He said the rush of police officers and reporters to the campus had been unsettling for many students.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2015
The curate, who had opened to him the first door of hope and comfort, had in these weeks begun to see that the apparent fitfulness of his kindness had been unsettling.
From Beechcroft at Rockstone by Charlotte Mary Yonge
Peg's predictions had been unsettling, and our nerves had all been more or less strained during our sojourn under her roof.
From The Golden Road by L. M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery
