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

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

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

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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 Google settled with the Alphabet Workers Union, which represents company employees and contractors, according to the U.S. National Labor Relations Board, or NLRB. Jennifer Elias, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025 In October, the parties settled the lawsuit for $1.85 million. Erin Jensen, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025 Arsenal settled far quicker than its visitor which only showed flashes of its brilliance in the first half – Kylian Mbappé twice failing to convert when through on goal. Ben Church, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2025 The couple had eventually settled in the UAE after emigrating from Iran in the revolution’s wake. Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for settle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for settle
Verb
  • Today, although grizzlies appear on California’s flag and seal, none inhabit the state’s woodlands.
    Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 16 Apr. 2025
  • It was inhabited by Count Lemmo Rossi Scotti, who spent his days painting and tending to the garden.
    Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Lacking any evidence, the department decided Ozturk could be deported at Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s discretion under law.
    Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 14 Apr. 2025
  • In this scenario, the Saints decide to make a bold play and move up for their passer of the future.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • But the human author was a sort of conductor: prompting, arranging, intervening.
    Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Oz: On [Richard’s] birthday, Laura arranged for maybe a dozen Civil War reenactors to come galloping onto the set.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Head to Dockside Restaurant for a relaxed Carolina seafood spot perched right on the water's edge.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Tina Fey is wearing a matching pajama set, perched on the edge of an oversized chair and discussing her tenure as a receptionist at the Evanston, Illinois, YMCA in the early ’90s.
    Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • According to Chief Joseph Ranch’s website, the cabin was built in 1916 and was used as lodging for the ranch’s staff.
    Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Inside the body During the subsequent 24 hours, the virus takes root by lodging in her nasopharynx cells in the upper part of the throat and starts spreading to her lungs.
    Emily Baumgaertner Nunn, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • At the microscopic level, fluids are composed of particles—little billiard balls bopping around and occasionally colliding—and Newton’s laws of motion work well to describe their trajectories.
    Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 14 Apr. 2025
  • New Shepard is composed of both a rocket and a crew capsule, which is outfitted with large windows for its passengers to gaze out of during the roughly 11-minute spaceflight.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The Keystone oil pipeline was shut down Tuesday morning following a rupture in North Dakota, with the resulting spill contained to an agricultural field near Fort Ransom.
    Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
  • The underlying challenge the editorial was hinting at was how any reform can be accomplished through governance mechanisms to contain growth which also respects some measure of individual choice for consumption.
    Saleem H. Ali, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • So McMahon and the Pullman community, who share her love for the church in Historical Pullman National Park, have banded together to pay the roughly $20,000 bill and reopen the church.
    Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Federal investigators ultimately found that its officers use excessive force, discriminate against Black people, conduct stops and searches without probable cause, and arrest people purely for not having the money to pay fines.
    Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 14 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Settle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/settle. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

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