unsettle
verb (used with object)
to alter from a settled state; cause to be no longer firmly fixed or established; render unstable; disturb.
were unsettling
-
past progressiveof unsettle.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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 elections in Argentina and the Netherlands were unsettling.
From Salon ● Dec. 26, 2023
These were unsettling moments, presided over by a monarch who demonstrated that she was still firmly in control.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2022
In 2016, the German minister for agriculture wanted to ban naming vegetable-based foods after their meaty counterparts, claiming terms such as “vegetarian schnitzel” were unsettling and misleading.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 22, 2020
When investigators in Congress and the FTC looked into the universe of what data brokers make available to their clients – be they political, corporate or nonprofit – some of the findings were unsettling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2016
No one mentioned such things; it was not a rule, but was considered rude to call attention to things that were unsettling or different about individuals.
From "The Giver" by Lois Lowry
