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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to inhabit
to supply with inhabitants the region was originally settled by farmers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4
5
as in to perch
to come to rest after descending from the air birds settling on the branches of the maple tree

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

6
7
8
as in to contain
to gain emotional or mental control of settled himself only with visible effort after the angry outburst

Synonyms & Similar Words

9
10
11
as in to shush
to stop the noise or speech of settled the class with a firm "quiet!"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb settle differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of settle are decide, determine, resolve, and rule. While all these words mean "to come or cause to come to a conclusion," settle implies a decision reached by someone with power to end all dispute or uncertainty.

the dean's decision settled the campus alcohol policy

When might decide be a better fit than settle?

While in some cases nearly identical to settle, decide implies previous consideration of a matter causing doubt, wavering, debate, or controversy.

she decided to sell her house

When is it sensible to use determine instead of settle?

The words determine and settle can be used in similar contexts, but determine implies fixing the identity, character, scope, or direction of something.

determined the cause of the problem

When would resolve be a good substitute for settle?

In some situations, the words resolve and settle are roughly equivalent. However, resolve implies an expressed or clear decision or determination to do or refrain from doing something.

he resolved to quit smoking

In what contexts can rule take the place of settle?

Although the words rule and settle have much in common, rule implies a determination by judicial or administrative authority.

the judge ruled that the evidence was inadmissible

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for settle
Verb
  • Wells’s great mind inhabited a small set of rooms in the six-story Tuckerman Building on Washington Square.
    Henry Wiencek July 22, Literary Hub, 22 July 2025
  • Some, like the gray reef shark and blacktip shark, inhabit coral reefs.
    Irit Skulnik, Baltimore Sun, 22 July 2025
Verb
  • The 39-year-old actress decided to ditch her long ends and hop on the burgeoning bob haircut trend, which has already seen a slew of celebrities, including Halle Berry, Jenna Bush Hager, Kendall Jenner and Zendaya, cut their hair short as well.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 15 July 2025
  • Peskov said Putin would need time to analyze Trump's remarks, some of which were directed at him, and to decide whether to comment.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • The lodge complex consisted of a main building and 114 standalone cabins perched at some 8,000 feet overlooking the canyon.
    Rachel Treisman, NPR, 14 July 2025
  • Netflix officially announced the start of the shoot in Italy on July 2, sharing a snap of Collins perched on a vespa.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • The information lodges somewhere in our unconscious.
    Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
  • 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
  • In addition to working with Anderson on the vocals, Gillies also co-wrote the song, and frequent MacFarlane collaborator Joel McNeely composed the two-and-a-half-minute ditty.
    EW.com, EW.com, 18 July 2025
  • The two songwriters also composed pitch-perfect theme songs for two sitcoms that debuted within a year of each other – Bewitched (1964) and Gidget (1965).
    Paul Grein, Billboard, 18 July 2025
Verb
  • As of Thursday afternoon, the fire crew effectively contained 92% of the wildfire.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 25 July 2025
  • Her rental car, containing her suitcase and all of her belongings, is towed.
    Jacqueline Tempera, People.com, 25 July 2025
Verb
  • The work is being paid for by a nonprofit that also funded work at the Washington Monument.
    Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 20 July 2025
  • But the borrower must still pay the mortgage every month.
    ProPublica, ProPublica, 20 July 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Settle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/settle. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on settle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!