1
as in to lay
to cause to come to rest at the bottom (as of a liquid)
the light rain will settle the dust in the air careful handling will settle the lees in the bottom of the wine bottle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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2
as in to inhabit
to supply with inhabitants
the region was originally settled by farmers
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3
as in to decide
to give an opinion about (something at issue or in dispute)
settled the lawsuit in favor of the defendant
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4
as in to arrange
to come to an agreement or decision concerning the details of
settled their wedding plans without any major disagreements
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5
as in to perch
to come to rest after descending from the air
birds settling on the branches of the maple tree
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6
7
as in to compose
to free from distress or disturbance
a hot meal settled the children down
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8
9
10
as in to determine
to make final, definite, or beyond dispute
this information should settle the question of who is right
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of settle
Chlorine gas can quickly settle into lower elevations such as the inner canyon, posing a health risk, officials added.
—
Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 13 July 2025
Saugatuck was first settled in 1830 by William Butler, although it was not originally called Saugatuck, the Holland Sentinel reported.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 13 July 2025
The company demanded huge amounts to settle — amounts that left small business owners in fear of closing or having to lay off employees.
—John L. Mica, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2025
They are built off-site in Germany, transported to the site, and settled into place with a small crane crew.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for settle
Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 13 July 2025
Saugatuck was first settled in 1830 by William Butler, although it was not originally called Saugatuck, the Holland Sentinel reported.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 13 July 2025
The company demanded huge amounts to settle — amounts that left small business owners in fear of closing or having to lay off employees.
—John L. Mica, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2025
They are built off-site in Germany, transported to the site, and settled into place with a small crane crew.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for settle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for settle
Verb
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In other words, the billionaire both designs and inhabits delusions of grandeur.—
Brittany Allen
July 10,
Literary Hub,
10 July 2025
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Because what really builds character is the expanded perspective that comes from inhabiting real (or real-enough) experiences that differ greatly from our own.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
10 July 2025
Verb
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But once Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) locks Superman (David Corenswet) away in a secret prison in a pocket universe, Terrific decides to help Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) find Superman.—
Adam B. Vary,
Variety,
15 July 2025
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Every candidate has already been vetted for safety; A.I. can identify low-hanging fruit, and then humans can decide whether the pairing is ripe for picking.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
15 July 2025
Verb
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Horowitz spent decades arranging for Sondheim’s archives to come to the Library of Congress.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
13 July 2025
-
The controversy comes at a time the United States is trying to arrange a ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
Verb
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The property has a private feel, featuring just 28 standalone villas, similar to the over-water Maldives bungalows, but these are perched in the jungle.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
7 July 2025
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Bitter End’s pair of two-story Marina Lofts are perched above the water’s edge.—
Lydia Price,
Travel + Leisure,
6 July 2025
Verb
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The information lodges somewhere in our unconscious.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
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Last week, with one out left in the state Division 3 game against Waterbury and his team losing 3-2, Seymour coach Jim Hoffman lodged a protest that Waterbury was using ineligible players.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
13 July 2025
Verb
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Natural gas is almost entirely composed of methane, a greenhouse gas that's far more potent than carbon dioxide.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
8 July 2025
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Last December, a task force co-led by Rashid and composed of Pritzker administration officials, educators and other lawmakers compiled a report detailing some of the risks presented by AI.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
7 July 2025
Verb
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The memo also contains a link to about 11 hours of footage of Epstein in his cell released as proof of his suicide—which quickly faced more scrutiny after viewers realized about a minute of footage was missing.—
Alison Durkee,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
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But the binders contained information that had largely already been in the public domain.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
13 July 2025
Verb
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That payment was bumped to $2 million when Blitzer took over; NWSL prices were already on the rise, and that was in line with what Angel City and the San Diego Wave paid when they were awarded teams in 2020 and 2021.—
Kurt Badenhausen,
Sportico.com,
8 July 2025
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A lot of users paid to have their dresses professionally preserved.—
Hannah Pittard,
People.com,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Settle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/settle. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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