unsettle
verb (used with object)
to alter from a settled state; cause to be no longer firmly fixed or established; render unstable; disturb.
unsettling
-
present participleof unsettle.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
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.
The scene sets an expectation for what we can expect from the show as a whole: It’s funny, but there’s something unsettling to how it unfolds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Miller has been racking up a series of unsettling on-camera appearances in which his attempts at defending himself instead reveal a deep well of dishonesty.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
It inherently asks us to consume these people and needs us to in order to make money, but sometimes consumers want to unhinge their jaws and eat these stars whole, a frightening and unsettling behavior.
From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026
Etching chips with DUV "is slower, lower-yield and more expensive than EUV production, but it is proving sufficient for near-frontier chips, unsettling policymakers and investors who had assumed China faced tighter constraints".
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
It's an unsettling conundrum, and I don’t like it one bit.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
